LDizee 

1848 



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CHAPEL OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE 



BY 



REV. H. I. SCHMIDT, A. M. 

QebhartI Profrssor of the Oennav I.aiiguiige and literature. 



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MARCH 7, 1848. 



BY 

REV. H. I. SCHMIDT, A. M., 

GEBHARD TROFESSOR OF THE GERMAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE. 



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ADDRESS. 



In entering upon the station to which I have been 
appointed at this institution, established usage requires 
me to commence my career of duty by pronouncing an 
address on some subject connected with the department 
of literature in which I am to give instruction. I have 
chosen the first subject that presented itself to my mind; 
for it occurred to me immediately that none could be 
more suitable for the present occasion, than a compari- 
son, personal and literary, of the two men, in whom 
German poetry has attained its highest development ; 
who are regarded, in their native land, as the most illus- 
trious votaries of the German muse : I speak, of course, 
of Schiller and Goethe. In choosing this subject, I was 
by no means ignorant of its difficulties and perplexities ,* 
for I am well aware that the opinions which I shall utter 
are totally at variance with that public opinion, and with 
that almost unanimous suffrage of German and foreign 
critics, which have placed Goethe at the head of all 
German poets, and describe him as unrivalled and unat- 
tainable in his glorious art. It may not be irrelevant to 
state, that these opinions have not been recently formed ; 



they have been long entertained, being the result of 
increasing intimacy with Goethe's writings ; and thev 
were published to theyvorld, in a literary magazine, lon^ 
before I had the satisfaction of seeing the same views 
fearlessly avowed, and triumphantly sustained, by the 
distinguished critic, Wolfgang Menzel, in his brilliant 
work on German literature. And I may further obviate 
the charge of singularity by stating, that in Germany 
itself many wise and good men have, from the begin- 
ning, loudly protested against the absurd claims set up 
in behalf of Goethe, by his enthusiastic and indiscrimi- 
nating admirers, many of whom have not scrupled to 
make him an object of idolatrous worship.* 

Before we proceed to discuss the distinctive charac- 
teristics, and to contrast the respective merits, of the 
two celebrated men whom we have named, it will be 
necessary to state the grounds on which we shall judge 
them : or, in more general terms, to set forth what we 
require, what ought, at all times, to be required, of him, 
who lays claim to the exalted title of poet. What, then, 
is the mission, what the office, of the poet ? In one 
sense there cannot be a greater mission on earth, than 
that of a true and Christian poet; of one who, thoroughly 
imbued with the love of God, and of man, and of nature, 
has received the glorious gift of pouring forth his lofty 
conceptions, his fervid emotions, in sweet and glowing 
song, adapted to awaken in others the thoughts and 
feelings that agitate his soul. Not that there could be 

* See at the close. 



an office intrinsically as great and holy as his, who 
has been duly called and authorized to preach the word 
of the kingdom. But the poet's office is the greatest in 
this sense, that none has as wide a scope as his. For 
while he who ministers immediately in holy things sel- 
dom finds a very extensive sphere, and is generally con- 
fined to a narrow one, the poet comes to all, the lofty 
and the mean, the wise and the simple, the virtuous and 
the vile : he speaks to all alike, and not of his nation 
alone, but of the whole great family of man ; and thou- 
sands will pore enraptured over his pages, who would 
not hear the professed moralist, or the sober preacher of 
righteousness. Hence the force of the poet's declara- 
tion : " I care not who makes the nation's laws, provided 
I may write its songs." 

It is absurd and ridiculous to limit the poet to the 
fictitious and unreal, as many, and even poets them- 
selves, have done. Not one good reason can be assigned 
why, as a recent writer* expresses it> "the province of 
poetry should be the unreal against the veal, the fictitious 
uninclusive of the true ;" and it cannot be that those 
who utter such opinions can ever have devoutly read and 
pondered the inspired hymns of the sweet singer of Is- 
rael, or the poetic effusions of the old covenant prophets. 
" Poetry," says the writer just quoted, "is universal. It 
includes every subject; and can no more be restricted 
in its range, than the Intellect, the Hope, and the Faith 
of man, of which it is the grandest exponent, and the 

* Charles Mackay, in " The People's Journal." 



6 

most sublime expression— making Intellect more intellec- 
tual, Hope more hopeful, and Religion more religious." 
It is the poet's office, not only to depict the grand 
and awful, the beautiful and agreeable, or to lead the 
less gifted to their true enjoyment; but to search into 
the nature, and to explore the hidden meanings, of 
things, of the various affairs, relations, and vicissitudes 
of human life ; to pierce the deep recesses of the human 
heart, and bring to light its evil and its good ; its base 
desires, its guilty passions; its purest aspirations, and 
its holiest hopes, and to give them utterance appropriate 
and expressive. No subject can be too little or too 
mean for the poet ; none, if due reverence and fear 
guide his pen, too exalted and glorious. But- — and this 
is a requirement to be inexorably insisted on — he must 
never mix his colors so as to produce incongruities, such 
as Horace describes in his epistle to the Pisos, — never 
place his subjects in a false light. He may exaggerate 
the little and the mean, and make vileness doubly vile, 
and paint sin with undiluted blackness ; he may invest 
all things beautiful, and noble, and good, with every at- 
tractive grace, and exhaust his fancy to cover them with 
winning charms ; but he must be unswervingly faithful 
to truth, to the real nature and fitness of things. Let 
him beware how he renders wisdom, or virtue, or be- 
nevolence, an object of suspicion, if not of dislike and 
contempt: while he seeks to inspire us with pity toward 
the corrupt and guilty, let him never attempt to palliate, 
to cover with deceptive tinsel, their corruption and guilt: 



and, above all, let him beware how he invests impuihy 
and vice, wickedness and crime, with attractions, adapt- 
ed to deceive and pervert the innocent and pure, to 
allure and charm the prurient and vicious, and to supply 
the guilty with a cloak of falsehood. 

Whatever the poet's genius may originate, whatever 
his fancy may create, in the secret recesses of his own 
soul, he comes before the public sulyect to the same 
laws as other artists. If the painter or the sculptor 
should exhibit to the gaze of men lewd scenes, and ob- 
scene groups, and then seek to apologize for the immoral 
character of his works, by saying that they are executed 
with matchless skill, that they are perfect achievements 
of art, we should tell him that he who asks us to ac- 
cept of beauty of form, and elegance of attitude, as an 
excuse for moral deformity and vileness, insults the 
common sense, and every nobler feeling of mankind. 
Man lives for greater, higher, better ends, than mere 
amusement at the expense of every other consideration 
and interest. Nay, the form is truly valuable only as it 
subserves these greater and nobler ends. And hence 
the poet greatly, wofuUy errs, who imagines that his 
genius may be exercised, his artistic skill displayed, with 
a view simply to amuse and delight his age, without re- 
gard to that culture of the heart, which is to help man 
onward in his pursuit of those great and momentous 
purposes for which he lives. And therefore, while it 
were folly to deny that the poet should, nay must, aim 
at the highest excellence of artistic representation, at 



the utmost finish and elegance of form or style, these 
are yet to be ranked as subordinate requisites ; — requi- 
sites, indeed, but only subsidiary to the more favorable 
accptance of what they are designed to embody and 
transmit, the thoughts and feelings of which they are 
the vehicles. 

No beauty of form can ennoble vice, but goodness 
and virtue, although extraneous attractions may serve to 
commend them more readily to the favor of men, shine 
bv iheir own light, and win the admiration and esteem 
of the wise and good, nay, often command the respect 
of the corrupt and vicious, even though they present 
themselves in the homeliest guise. 

The poet, then, has no right to plead the perfection 
of artistic skill as a justification of the debasing and 
demoralizing tendency of his productions : he has no 
right to debauch the public mind, to corrupt the moral 
sense of mankind, and then come forward, and attempt 
to vindicate his fiendlike achievements, on the ground 
that they have been accomplished with all the matchless 
ingenuity, and skill, and power, that genius could in- 
spire. The poet's great mission is to instruct mankind ; 
to exalt, to beautif)^, to ennoble human life. He must 
unfold to men's minds the inward and more mysterious 
life and relations of nature, animate and inanimate, in 
the most sublime and magnificent, in the most minute 
and delicate objects of this glorious creation. He must 
arouse, and guide man's mind to the perception 
of the more hidden and spiritual meanings of this 



9 

his wonderfully varied life on earth. He must give 
sweetly gentle, or mightily gushing utterance, to the 
kindliest affections and sympathies, or the loftiest aspi- 
rations, the purest desires, the holiest hopes of the hu- 
man soul. He must teach his fellow-man to hear the 
voice of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, as it 
speaks to every attentive ear in the language of universal 
nature ; and to trace the operations of infinite justice, 
guided by unerring wisdom, tempered by boundless be- 
nevolence, in the dealings of Providence with individual 
and social man. He must aim to render truth lovely 
and attractive, and to set forth virtue in all her native 
charms and winning graces ; and to portray the unvar- 
nished and ungilded deformity of vice, only that it may 
be abhorred, both in its inward nature, and its outward 
manifestations. A vates in a higher and better sense 
than the ancients knew, he should lead onward and 
upward his race to increasing admiration, reverence and 
love for Him that sitteth on the throne of the universe, 
to more devoted attachment and allegiance to Him who 
tabernacled among men, full of grace and truth. And 
to the prosecution and attainment of these great and 
glorious ends he must bend all the powers of his genius, 
and apply all the discoveries of science, and direct all 
the contrivance and skill of art. It matters little how 
lavish he be of the adornments of his noble art, if only 
they be employed to render what is beautiful, sublime, 
and glorious, more appreciable and attractive, more 
lovely and delightful to man, or that which is mean and 
vile, an object of deeper horror and disgust. 



10 

AVe shall conclude this statement of Wiiat we deem 
essential to poetry, with what Dr. Johnson beautifully 
says, in his Rasselas, concerning its instrumentalities 
and adornments. "In a poet no kind of knowledge 
is to be overlooked. To a poet nothing can be use- 
less. Whatever is beautiful, and whatever is dreadful, 
must be familiar to his imagination. He must be con- 
versant with all that is awfully vast or elegantly little. 
The plants of the garden, th« animals of the wood, the 
minerals of the earth, the meteors of the sky, must all 
concur to store his mind with inexhaustible variety ; for 
every idea is useful for the enforcement or decoration of 
religious truth ; and he w^ho knows most will have most 
power of diversifying his scenes, and of gratifying his 
readers with remote allusion and unexpected instruc- 
tion." Now, if it be conceded that the views which we 
have here advanced, and which, we cannot but believe, 
coincide with those of the great moralist and poet whom 
we have just quoted, are correct and just, it will not be 
difficult to decide on the respective claims of Schiller 
and of Goethe, to the admiration and gratitude of man- 
kind. 

Thus much must be acknowledged, at the outset, 
that in the views just expressed we have, for ourselves, 
entirely renounced that stand-point from which the ma- 
jority of critics, and among them Thomas Carlyle, who 
have found every thing to admire and applaud, and no- 
thing to censure and condemn, in Goethe, have viewed 
that poet. Those men, obviously, consider him solely 



w^ 11 

as an artist, and cannot, if thej would, ascribe to Iiim 
any higher purpose than the attainment of the utmost 
artistic excellence. Carlyle, indeed, ventures to talk of 
his ethics, and his religious belief; of his moral and reli- 
gious character; but his lucubrations on this subject are 
so replete with that flippant latitudinarianism, that loose- 
robed, slipshod, all-justifying charity, which have found 
such general favor among the literary men of our day, as 
to disgust all sober-minded men, to whom morality and 
religion are words of deepest and holiest meaning. For 
ourselves, we know of neither morality nor religion,- 
other than the sacred Scriptures teach ; and what is not 
derived from and conformed to this divine standard, we- 
most explicitly repudiate. With the heathen poets of 
classic antiquity we have here nothing to do; although, 
when we consider the light which they had, the piety 
and morality of many of them are immeasurably superior 
to those of many, who flourished within the last two 
centuries. We are speaking of a poet, who wrote among, 
and for, a people professedly Christian, and who has 
exerted, and continues to exert, a boundless influence- 
not only on the public mind of Germany, but of other 
enlightened nations. And our present inquiry is, what 
is the nature of this influence ? On its religious aspect 
we intend to be brief. We decidedly take the ground 
that the poet, who either entirely ignores the volume of 
inspiration, or treats its great doctrines, and its exalted 
characters with disrespect, and even perverts and dis- 
torts them, that they may harmonize with his philoso- 



12 

phic notions, and his pliant ethics, cannot be esteemed 
a Christian poet, and that his influence on the religious 
character of the community is, as far as it goes, a 
mischievous one. But, if Goethe explicitly denied the 
divine inspiration of the Scriptures, viewing them as 
the repeatedly revised productions of erring men, and 
summarily rejecting, as apocryphal, whatever in them he 
could not perfectly understand or approve ; if he repre- 
sented their fundamental doctrines as sectarian jargon, 
or dismissed them, authoritatively, as absurdities ; if he 
repulsed, even in his old age, every effort of faithful 
friendship to induce him to give the greatest of all sub- 
jects his serious consideration, with either silent con- 
tempt, or a biting epigram ; if he publicly declared that 
religious books were productive of illiberal opinions con- 
cerning human and divine things, and only worried him; 
and if, lastly, he substitutes for the great body of divinity 
contained in the sacred volume, a rude conglomeration 
of the transcendental and the practical, which he styles 
the ethnical and the philosophical religions, " for the 
former of which the pictures have been composed from 
the Old Testament, for the latter from the New ;" 
if all this is unquestionably true of Goethe, in what 
sense can we regard him as a Christian poet ? The 
truth, undoubtedly, is, that Goethe, like so many learned 
men of our age, was a pantheist ; and as it was his deli- 
berately announced opinion, that " religion, among other 
moral influences, rules only the surface of civil society," 
so he, quite consistently, gave himself no farther concern 



13 

about its doctrines or its duties. For ourselves, we 
would rather encounter the frivolous drollery of Biirger, 
and the daring impiety of Byron, than the sardonic 
sneer, the haughty condescension, and the self-compla- 
cent smirk of Goethe, when he deals with sacred sub- 
jects. 

On his poetic genius, in general, we shall not dwell 
at any lengtii, as it is our main object to exhibit the in- 
fluence which his life and writings are calculated to exert 
on society. We have not the slightest inclination to deny 
that Goethe possessed extraordinary poetic talent. He 
was gifted with nearly every requisite to form a great 
poet. With the most profound, clear, and comprehensive 
perception of the poetical phases of nature and of human 
life, of the material available for poetic representation, 
inherent in whatever objects, or scenes, or social devel- 
opments met his observation ; with an imagination of 
inexhaustible wealth, and a fancy of boundless fertility, 
vast in its breadth, though by no means in its upward 
tendencies ; with an intuitive recognition of secret sym- 
pathies, and of concealed connections, between objects 
and manifestations seemingly wholly dissimilar ; with a 
calm judgment, a severely correct taste, which -enabled 
him to arrange in harmonizing groups poetic elements, 
that to many would appear discordant and antagonistic; 
and with a discrimination, which seldom failed to detect 
whatever was purely prosaic and intractable ; with a cau- 
tious coolness, which does not lose its equilibrium even 
in stormy scenes of excitement, he combines a skill of 



14 

representation, a command of language, an easy flow of 
style, unrivalled in its simple beauty and its calm repose, 
a power over all the various forms of poetic representa- 
tion, perhaps never excelled. Viewing him merely as a 
poet, it seems to us that his chief defect is, that he is too 
unimpassioned ; he has no enthusiasm, no fire ; he ap- 
pears every where as the unconcerned, shrewd observer, 
speculating in the poetic material of every nation under 
the sun, himself unmoved by the emotions to which he 
gives utterance, or the stirring scenes which he por- 
travs; — excepting always when his subjects are sensual, 
licentious, and obscene : — for in such he seems to have 
taken the most intense delight, introducing them on 
every convenient occasion ; or ever and anon making 
occasion for them, to gratify the vile propensities of his 
impure soul. 

It is with sorrow that we say such bitter things of a 
poet, whose extraordinary gifts might have made him 
the greatest benefactor of his age. But, as we have 
already said, we are not singular in our opinion of 
Goethe. Among the numerous writers, who have fear- 
lessly exposed the corrupt character, and the demora- 
lizing tendency of his writings, the most recent, and 
perhaps the most discriminating and just in his un- 
sparing severity, is the distinguished German critic, 
Wolfgang Menzel ; and to his profound, elaborate, and 
brilliant work on German literature, we refer those who 
would see Goethe's poetic character drawn, in all its 
-variety of feature and expression, by a master hand. 



15 

Under different circumstances we might consider it 
a duty to show, in detail, that we have not unadvisedly 
and unjustly charged Goethe with an intense predilec- 
tion for the impure, the licentious, and ohscene, in 
thought and imagination, in principle and life. But our 
hearers need not fear, that, while we condemn, we shall 
shock their taste or modest}-, by retailing what we cen- 
sure. We shall neither specify nor analyze, but merely 
indicate localities. Goethe's lyrics, epics, ballads, and 
other* minor poems, are comparatively free from the 
moral blemishes, which so often startle and offend the 
reader of his writings, though even here they are suffi- 
ciently abundant. It is chiefly in his novels, his dra- 
matic pieces, and even in his travels, that the pruriency 
of his imagination, and the utter corruptness of his 
heart, are manifested. Distinguished as these produc- 
tions are for artistic excellence, and elegance of style, 
they either present frequent and gross offences against 
common decency and morality, or entire works set at 
defiance evvjy thing like correct principle, and cast off 
all respect for those lovely virtues, those sacred duties, 
whose strict observance is all-essential to human life, if 
it is to be, we shall not say beautiful and pure and holy, 
but barely human, and which the Creator has constituted 
the very foundation, not only of the happiness, but of 
the very existence of domestic and social life. We have 
been much gratified to find, that on this subject Menzel, 
in his profound criticism on Goethe, has expressed, often 
in almost our own words, the same views which we for- 



16 

merly ourselves made public. And, in order to afford 
our opinions the countenance of such high German 
authority, we shall now, in preference to any minute 
discussion of our own, quote a few passages from the 
work of Menzel. We shall merely say that to us his 
Faust, which is universally regarded as Goethe's greatest 
work, appears to be an infamous canonization of the 
genius of wickedness, in the person of Dr. Faust. The 
great and grave charge which we have often felt con- 
strained to urge against Goethe, is not only that his 
morality is baseless, hollow, and spurious ; not only, 
that corrupt principle, audacious licentiousness, and un- 
bridled libertinism are rife in his writings, but, that so 
far from any where expressing any reprehension and 
detestation of such vices, he revels in their exhibition 
with the most intense relish ; and that he ever seeks to 
throw around his vicious and wicked characters all that 
grace, elegance, and fascination, with which poetic 
genius ought to invest only what is in itself beautiful 
and good. The vicious and the vile are his favorite 
heroes. That such a delineation of such characters 
was simply the result of Goethe's own character, all 
who know how disgusting was his own private life, will 
admit ; and hence it is distinctly and broadly asserted 
by Menzel. A very few citations* from that critic 
must suffice. " Talent," says he, " is universal by its 
nature, and must prove itself so by the greatest variety 
of applications. There is nothing in the world to which 

* We quote from Prof. C, C. Felton's admirable, translation of Menzel's 
German Literature. 



17 

talent cannot give a poetical coloring. The musician 
very justly affirmed that every thing could be set to 
music, even a list of names. A poet of talent can per- 
form equal wonders with language. Hence, also, 
Goethe was so many-sided. He could make every thing, 
even the smallest and meanest, delightful by the magic 
of his representation. 

" Here, however, we strike upon the first great sin of 
the poetry of Goethe. Art must be like an enlightened 
religion, that makes only what is really sublime, noble, 
and pure, what is really godlike, the object of worship ; 
it must not resemble a whimsical Felichism, which 
turns the little, the vulgar, and the obscene, every thing, 
in short, into a vehicle of adoration, into an idol. The 
form must be proportioned, and congenial to the subject. 
Comic poetry alone is permitted, and only for the sak e 
of comic effect, to travesty what is sublime, and to dis- 
tinguish a vulgar subject with a grotesque elevation. 
On the other hand, every seriously intended sentimental 
embellishment of vulgarity, by means of a pathetic dress, 
is wholly inadmissible. But Goethe was the first to de- 
lineate feeble and infamous characters as interesting, 
amiable, and even sublime, and to excite a sympathy for 
the conceited Werther, the mean-spirited worthless Cla- 
vigo, the effeminate and coquettish Wilhelm Meister, 
the sentimental Don Juan Faust, as if these were 
really the ideals of a manly soul. Since this example 
was set, German poetry has been overrun with weak- 
lings and scoundrels who pass for heroes. 

8 



18 

" To this highly unpoetical difference between the 
beautifying form and the ugly substance belongs also the 
manner, which had its origin with Goethe, of represent- 
ing common, vulgar, and little matters, or things that 
are absolutely dry, prosaic, and tedious, by means of an 
affected air of importance, as full of meaning, and cap- 
tivating to the senses. I will here only allude to the 
' Toilet of the Man of Forty Years.' Goethe was fond 
of mystifying his readers by such means, and of putting 
them, as it were, to the proof how much they could 
bear without grumbling. 

" Beautiful nature is the only object, the imitation of 
which by the serious poet pleases us, and deformed na- 
ture ought to be exclusively the subject of comic and 
humorous poetry ; but Goethe staked his whole reputa- 
tion upon making deformed nature, with all seriousness, 
pass for beautiful, by the aid of his powers of represen- 
tation ; and we need onlj^ read the work written by 
Talk, on Goethe's life, or the Tame Xenia and aphorisms 
of Goethe, and some passages of his ' Faust,' to be con- 
vinced what diabolical fun his readers made him, when 
they allowed themselves to be so easily duped, and were 
rapt into wondering admiration and reverence, if Goethe 
mysteriously thrust out his tongue, twisted his features 
into a grimace at the highly respectable assembly, and, 
like Mephistophiles, made an indecent gesture. 

" Nothing characterizes him better than the poem 
with which the Musen Almanach of 1833 was opened. 
He there insults his senseless worshippers by a strain of 



19 

coarseness and indecency which is too vile to be repeated 
here. To this length of impudence Goethe ventured to 
go with the German people." — Vol. III. pp. 30-32. 

In another place the same writer sajs : " Even Plato 
reprobates, with severe earnestness, the desecration of 
poetry by laying open unnatural lusts. He reproaches 
Hesiod and Homer for relating so many obscene and 
disgusting things of the gods. He says with perfect 
truth, ' Even if such things exist in nature, they ought 
not to be related in the hearing of young people, but 
should be silently passed over, more than any thing else 
whatever. If a necessity should ever occur to speak of 
them, these things must be heard not otherwise than as 
mysteries, by as few as possible, who should have 
brought beforehand for sacrifice, not a miserable pig, 
but some great and costly offering, to the end that as 
few as possible may have an opportunity of hearing 
about such matters.' It is true that the mysterious af- 
finity of choice, the principle of conjugal infidelity, — it 
is true that licentious enjoyments, such as are described 
in ' Stella,' — really occur in nature, but they are excres- 
cences ; and we should not allow ourselves to be deceived 
about nature, or rather about the nature of these things, 
by a captivating poetical embellishment, by confound- 
ing them with the most sacred feelings of pure love ; 
for, as Plato proceeds to say, ' No one is willing to ad- 
mit a lie into the noblest part of himself, and with re- 
spect to the highest things.' 

" We have yet to speak of the cruelty which accom*- 



20 

panies refined pleasures. Goethe has a predilection for 
painting human weaknesses and prejudices, and feasts 
upon the sufferings that have their origin there. It is so 
with ' Werther,' ' Clavigo,' ' Tasso,' ' The Natural 
Daughter,' ' Elective Affinities,' and others. The cruel 
pleasure consists in this, that the poet amuses himself 
with crimes and sufferings, and makes not the least 
atonement for them whatever. This cruelty oftentimes 
seems aimless, often merely involuntary, as the conse- 
quence of the indifference with which the poet contem- 
plated the world. The calmness and clearness with 
which Goethe draws his pictures, look frequently like 
perfect indifference, and not like the godlike repose which 
springs from the fullness of the idea. It has the effect, 
therefore, of the lifeless laws of nature, and not of the in- 
ward satisfaction of the soul . Hence Goethe offers so many 
discords which have no solution." — Vol. III. pp. 43-45. 
Many other striking passages might be cited from 
Menzel, but we are already trespassing on the patience 
of our hearers, and we must bring this part of our dis- 
cussion to a close. We shall abstain from all remarks 
on his own life, which, as we have good reason to assert, 
was positively infamous. Nor can we dwell on other 
objectionable features of his character, either negatively 
or positively displayed in his writings : on his utter heart- 
lessness, his profound egotism, his superlative vanity, his 
supreme and contemptible selfishness, his self-exaltation 
and self-worship, his aristocratic hauteur and insolence, 
his languid effeminacy. To one most bitter reproach he 



im 21 

lies open, — an utter want of patriotism, which led him 
to maintain a cold, stiff, silent reserve, at a time when 
his country was trodden into the dust by the foreign 
invader and oppressor, when the whole great heart of 
Germany was swelling and bursting with wounded 
pride, nationality, resentment, and ardent aspirations for 
the recovery of freedom ; when the whole land resound- 
ed with the voice of the noble and the brave, with the 
tramp and thunder of armies, and the indignant strains 
of patriotic poets. Amid, the convulsions that shook 
Germany from the Rhine to the Vistula, the voice of 
her first poet was not heard. It was heard only in fee- 
ble and drivelling commonplaces, when the storm was 
overpast.* 

Had Goethe realized the exalted and momentous 
nature of the poet's office and vocation, how great and 
glorious might he shine on the literary firmament, re- 
volving among orbs of like magnitude and splendor, 
around the sun of truth and wisdom ; but now, how 
dark and sinister is his aspect, how lawless his orbit, 
how malign his influence ! 

We gladly turn from this contemplation, to gaze 
awhile at another luminary of a far purer and brighter 
light. 

Schiller was not made, as Goethe in a great mea- 
sure was, by outward circumstances and influences, but 
his genius developed itself, and struggled upward to 
the commanding position which it attained, in spite of 

* See Note at the end. 



circumstances the most depressing, of influences the 
most adverse. He was not, as Goethe often was, an 
imitator, but he chose his own ground ; evolved, by the 
independent exertion of the gifts and strength that were 
given him, his peculiar poetic characteristics, his own ar- 
tistic principles and excellences ; and his very first and 
youthful appearance before the public was a stern, 
though rash and ill-judged, antagonism to existing ten- 
dencies. Looking at the whole man, as he presents 
himself in his life and writings, he was one of the 
noblest and brightest appearances in the literary world. 
The sins of Goethe can in no wise be laid at his door. 
Modest, unassuming, and retiring, he arrogated no lofty 
and insolent airs, paraded no egotistical self-worship, 
nor ever usurped an overbearing dictatorship over the 
republic of letters. Animated by an ardent love of 
truth, and of virtue, and of his race, he was ever an 
earnest man, pursuing, with steadfast purpose, the noble 
and the true. He was never guilty of levity or frivolity ; 
for this he had too much self-respect, too serious a re- 
gard for the sacredness of virtue, too profound a convic- 
tion of the grave significance of human life and human 
relations. His own life had for him too deep a mean- 
ing, that he should ever have wasted his time and 
strength on capricious trifling, or in impertinent frivolity. 
With intense ardor, and indefatigable industry he studied 
the great principles of his noble art ; and strove, Avith 
sleepless activity, to attain the highest excellence in 
their application, in the production of imperishable 



23 

works. It is true that, considered as an artist, Schiller 
was inferior to Goethe. He had not the same command 
of material, nor the same ready skill in arrangement and 
combination. His prose has not the easj flow, the magic 
melody of Goethe's; it is throughout more elaborate 
and ambitious, perhaps too uniformly majestic and 
stately, but, at the same time, decidedly more correct, 
and, in general, admirably adapted to the important 
subjects of which he treats, full of life, and vigor, and 
idiomatic nerve, abounding in great thoughts, striking 
comparisons, and happy metaphors. But he ever had 
a purpose beyond the perfection of art, greater than the 
attainment of mere literary fame. He sought to instruct, 
to ennoble, and to elevate mankind. His aim was, to 
make the beautiful, whether in nature, or in humanity, 
more attractive ; to awaken admiration of the powerful 
and sublime ; to set forth the influence of the mightiest 
affections and passions that rule the heart of man ; to 
portray earnest men and women, characters full of en- 
ergy, whether of vice and wickedness, of bold and ruth- 
less ambition, of dark and remorseless tyranny, of gloomy 
and bitter despair ; or of disinterested friendship, of 
true and self-devoting love, of single-minded philan- 
thropy, of pure and fervent patriotism, of unshrinking 
loyalty to human rights, and liberty, and happiness. 
He aims to move deeply and strongly, but always in 
the right direction. He is always serious, and desires 
that you should be so. The love of the beautiful, and 
lofty, and virtuous, the abhorrence of meanness, and 



4 



24 

frivolity, and vice, which fill his soul, he aims to excite 
and cherish in his reader. He never sinks into the 
apologist of vulgarity, and baseness, and crime. He 
never seduces us into admiration of vicious characters, 
never prostitutes his poetic powers to invest them with 
spurious attractions, never condescends to sophistry to 
palliate their unhallowed deeds ; he never leaves us any 
choice but to admire and love his purer, nobler, and bet- 
ter creations. The brilliant and fascinating princess 
Eboli never wins our sympathy or esteem ; the gloomy 
but majestic Wallenstein, however much we may admire 
his grandeur, never gains our applause ; the bigoted and 
malignant Philip commands our utmost detestation ; 
Franz von Moor excites our deepest abhorrence, and his 
unhappy brother Karl, though we commiserate his mis- 
fortunes, never tempts us to approve his crimes ; and on 
the other hand, the generous and high-minded Marquis 
Posa, that beau-ideal of a patriot and philanthropist ; 
the sturdy and stalwart Tell ; the heroic Max Piccolo- 
mini, whose manly rectitude would not yield to the 
strongest temptation ; the artless, confiding, but strong- 
minded Thekla, whose inflexible regard for the right 
and good, leads her to sacrifice to duty even her pure 
and ardent love ; the maid of Orleans, strong and sub- 
lime in her heroic enthusiasm, are all objects that invite 
our liveliest admiration, our warmest sympathy, our sin- 
cerest respect and esteem. Whether great in misfor- 
tune, or great in power and prosperity, they are truthful 
embodiments of a genuine and exalted humanity, and 



25 

as such they claim from us the exercise of every truly 
human sympathy and affection. 

Let it be remembered that it is not our object to 
defend either of these celebrated men ; but that we sim- 
ply intend to compare their respective literary merits, 
and to attempt a comparative estimate of their moral 
character, but especially of that influence which their 
writings are respectively calculated to exert on the reli- 
gious opinions, and the morals of the community. And, 
therefore, as we have spoken of Goethe's religious opin- 
ions and character, we must not omit this point in our 
estimate of Schiller. Unlike his celebrated contempo- 
rary in this, as in other respects, he gave to this all-im- 
portant subject his most serious attention. His childhood 
was passed in a pious home, and the influence of his 
early education never faded from his heart, however 
deeply his mind was afterwards imbued with error. 
Unfortunately, he early became involved in the mazes 
of a skeptical and false philosophy, and in the prosecu- 
tion of his philosophic speculations he struggled man- 
fully and anxiously for truthful, solid, and firm convic- 
tions; but he never reached a satisfactory result. Schiller 
lost his faith and his hope, and doubtless remained a 
skeptic to the end of his days. As this philosophy exalts 
human reason into a judge of revelation, so Schiller, in 
treating of Scriptural subjects, boldly assumed that the 
sacred writings are uninspired, the work of erring mor- 
tals alone. We do not recollect that he says so, but he 
simply takes it for granted, and deals with Scripture 



26 

accordingly. He never shrugs his shoulders, or laughs 
in his sleeve, or sneers, and then again prates, in the 
language of mysticism, about religious experiences, as 
Goethe often does, but betakes himself, with all sober 
seriousness, to the setting forth of his ov\^n vieAvs, on 
the establishment and elucidation of which he bestows 
a good deal of elaborate reasoning, and no less imagina- 
tive surmise, and of wild conjecture. Schiller has writ- 
ten but two treatises on subjects, with reference to which 
we have no sources of information except the Mosaic 
records : and of these papers Carlyle speaks in a lan- 
guage of approval and admiration, which is to us quite 
unaccountable, when we consider what he has elsewhere 
written of men whose soundness in doctrine, and lofty 
consistency in practice, have never been open to ques- 
tion. Schiller loved the truth and sought it, and he 
wrote what, doubtless, he conceived to be true ; but it 
would be difficult to point out any where a more deplora- 
ble exhibition of the result at which a mind will arrive, 
which inclines to philosophic speculation and utterly re- 
jects the sure foundation of faith, and substitutes its own 
supposed discoveries for the teachings of infinite intelli- 
gence and wisdom. Besides the dissertations here spo- 
ken of, we recollect but two other pieces, and these are 
poems, in which Schiller very strongly displays the same 
spirit, but in an entirely different manner, with respect 
to the truths of revealed religion. His mind was deeply, 
violently agitated by that greatest of all inquiries that 
can employ the human intellect, but we do not believe 



#. 



27 

that, amid the rolling billows of skepticism, he ever 
reached the rock of faith, or found safe moorings for the 
anchor of his hope. As regards the influence upon others 
of the productions which we have had in view, we doubt 
whether it ever has been, or ever will be, extensive or 
deep. 

If we consider, in the next place, the poetic genius 
of Schiller in its entire manifestation, we cannot but 
admit that it was not as comprehensive or universal as 
Goethe's ; but in the sphere in which he lived and 
wrought, it far surpassed, in piercing vision, in depth 
and fervor of feeling, in power of utterance, that of his 
supercilious friend. He did not diffuse his energies over 
so large a surface as Goethe, but he dug vastly deeper, 
and built incomparably higher. Strength and splendor 
are the characteristics of his imagination. He penetrated 
into the hidden depths of the human heart, and rent 
away the veil that often hides human character ; and he 
brought forth what is pure and good in men, that he 
might commend it to the esteem, and love, and imitation 
of the world, and dragged their corruptions and vices to 
the light, that he might loudly proclaim his abhorrence, 
and speak to the conscience his stern rebuke, and his 
earnest warnino;. And here we see the effect of his 
early training, which inspired him with a profound rev- 
erence and love of Christian virtue : for, although he 
stood on false grounds of belief, his morality is obviously 
based on principles of Christian ethics. So steadfast 
was his purpose to exert a salutary influence on society. 



28 

that when the public misapprehended the design of his 
novel, " The Ghostseer," conceiving it intended only to 
excite surprise and terror, he threw it aside and never 
resumed it, so that we have it in an unfinished state. 

Although we admit that Schiller's genius had not the 
universality of Goethe's, it would be doing him great 
injustice if we were to represent his mental character as, 
in any sense, inferior, or the empire of his mind as at all 
contracted. He was a man of great and varied learn- 
ing ; his mind was of the highest order, and of rich and 
many-sided culture. The difference between him and 
Goethe is striking. While the latter seems at home 
every where, and handling, with plastic skill, any and 
every subject that presents itself, and often, indeed, 
throwing away his skill on subjects purely indifferent 
and trifling, or even contemptible, Schiller is distin- 
guished for prompt sagacity to discern, and consum- 
mate ability to embody the beautiful and the good,; for 
a vastness of power to grapple with all things great, and 
noble, and strong, and to subdue them into willing sub- 
serviency to the exalted purposes of his poetic genius. 
We may liken Goethe to the botanist, who roves over 
the whole face of the earth, and gathers into his garden 
trees and plants of every sort, the beautiful and the 
uncomely, the fruitful and the useless, the sweet and 
the nauseous, the salutary and the poisonous, arranging 
them, with admirable art, in beautiful groups, and in strik- 
ingly contrastive juxtaposition, but leaving the thought- 
less and unheeding wanderer in its mazes, unguarded 



29 

and unwarned to shun the hurtful odor of these plants, 
to abstain from the death-bearing poison of those trees ; 
while Schiller resembles the horticulturist, who no less 
assiduously searches out the floral riches of the globe, 
but selects only those productions of nature which are 
distinguished for their lofty growth, their potent energy, 
their attractive beauty, or their inviting sweetness, 
transferring them to his magnificent park, his garden 
disposed in gleaming terraces and fresh with gushing 
fountains, and his elegant greenhouse, arranging all in 
beauteous order and harmony, and labelling every nox- 
ious tree, and shrub, and plant, to warn the unwary to 
avoid their touch, to flee their noxious odors and their 
pestiferous fruits. Schiller's poetry is the worthy expo- 
nent of deep and intense feeling ; of lofty principle and 
energetic purpose; of strong volition and of vigorous 
action ; of patient endurance and of calm submission ; 
of mighty motive and of earnest life whether good or 
evil, and sometimes of dark and dismal despair ; in a 
word, of human nature in its most exalted and beautiful, 
or in its strongest and sternest manifestations. But his 
aim always is to instruct, and warn, and benefit man- 
kind, to beautify and ennoble human life. iVnd the 
character of his genius is profoundness, strength, bold- 
ness, a perfectly balanced harmony of force, and withal, 
a full and gushing ardor of youth that never cools or 
flags. And thus, while Goethe has been the " lion of 
coteries," and the idol of a learned sect, Schiller has been 
the favorite of the people, of true men and women from 



# 



so 

the throne to the cottage ; for all found in his writings 
the forcible utterance of the feelings and aspirations that 
dwell in every human heart. 

Schiller gloried in ideal contemplations, and in the 
creation of great and noble ideal characters. Goethe 
was no more capable of conceiving and bringing out 
such characters as Schiller's lofty and glorious Posa, or 
his ardent and heroic maid of Orleans, or his chivalrous 
and high-souled Max-Piccolomini, or his pure, generous, 
self-forgetting Thekla, than he was of achieving the 
Pallas Parthenos of Phidias, or one of Raphael's Ma- 
donnas. Some have found fault with Schiller's poetry, 
because, as they say, there is in it too much philosophy, 
and too much morality. These complaints are fre- 
quently raised by the impure admirers of Goethe's mer- 
etricious muse; they deprecate Schiller's mighty influence 
on the literature and character of his nation ; they 
would have unrestrained license to revel in impure 
indulgences, under the potent patronage of Goethe, 
whom, as Menzel declares, Schlegel even presumed to 
call a igod ; and " hinc illae lachrymse." What has 
thus been made a matter of reproach, we gratefully 
accept as the result of Schiller's clear and strong appre- 
hension of the greatness and sacredness of the poet's 
province. He has never pandered to vicious appetite ; 
he has ever done homage to purity and virtue. What 
gives him his strongest claim to the admiration and 
gratitude of mankind is his earnest spirit ; his earnest 
warfare against tyranny, wrong-doing, wickedness, and 



31 

corruption ; his earnest vindication and assertion of 
human rights and liberty ; his earnest advocacy of right, 
of true nobleness, and of rigid virtue. We have said 
that his love of truth was intense, his pursuit of it 
ardent and unceasing. In his uninterruptedly advancing 
self-culture, he strove to realize a lofty and glorious 
ideal. And it was his intense application to this great 
object, his sleepless efforts in the expansion, and culture, 
and enrichment of his powerful mind, that so speedily 
wore out his feeble frame, and consigned him to an early 
grave, when he was yet far short of the' exalted aim 
which he had proposed to himself. And with reference 
to this trait of his character and life, Goethe has beauti- 
fully said : 

" Er wendete die Bltithe hdchsten Strebens, 
Das Leben seibst, an diese.s Bild des Lebcns."' 

And we need only add, that, in accordance with his 
exalted principles of thought and action, his life, his 
personal character, was all that is pure, and noble, and 
estimable; distinguished for dignified simplicity, amiable 
gentleness, modest strength, unswerving integrity, and 
diffusive benevolence. Though we lament the errors of 
Schiller the philosopher, and deplore that he never pen- 
etrated into the shrine of holiest truth, who can but 
admire Schiller the man, the poet of honor and of virtue, 
the faithful and powerful asserter of the rights, the 
duties, the interests of mankind ? 

Gilfillan says, in a recent production : " Another 
security for the future triumphs of Poetry is to be found 



m 



in the spread of the Earnest Spirit. That such a spirit 
is coming over the age, men feel as by a general and 
irresistible intuition. There are, besides, many distinct 
evidences, and in nothing more so than in the present 
state of Poetry. Its clouds, long so light and gay, are 
rapidly charging with thunder, and from that black 
orchestra, when completely filled, what tones of power 
and music may be expected!" We believe that this is 
true, and we hail the omen with joyful expectation. But 
that, at a time when feeble drivelling, or shameless fri- 
volity, or unblushing libertinism were rife in European 
literature, Schiller took the lead in this purifying and 
reforming movement, and first sounded the trumpet to 
summon the poets of Christendom to aid him in this 
magnificent concert, and that not from accident, or cal- 
culation, and expediency, but because his strong and 
noble spirit disdained all other work or companionship, 
this is the greatest glory of his imperishable name. 



w 



NOTES 



Page 2. For various reasons the writer deems it necessary to 
state, that he has never seen any unfavorable critique on Goethe's 
works, except Menzel's : but that there has been in Germany, much 
and severe censure of his character, and the tendency of his writings, 
appears abundantly from the bitter complaints and the indignant 
rejoinders of his worshippers. 

P. 21. To the fact that Goethe lies open to this reproach, the 
writer's attention was, many years ago, directed by a friend and dis- 
tinguished German scholar. Having afterwards found the accusa- 
tion broadly made and satisfactorily sustained, by Menzel, he pro- 
ceeded to strengthen his conviction of its justness, and sought, in vain, 
to discover in any of Goethe's writings, a spark of true philanthropy, or 
genuine patriotism. But to this chargCj the accomplished American 
translator of Menzel's German Literature replies, in his preface, as 
follows : " The example he set of devotion to all the interests of 
civilization, — of an industry that never tired, — of a watchfulness that 
never slumbered, — in the regions of art, and poetry, and science, — 
ought to be received as some compensation for the indifference he is 
accused of having shown towards what are called the great political 
interests of the world ; for it may well be a question to the reflecting 
man, whether he cannot minister more successfully to the happiness 
of the race by recalling their thoughts to the humanizing influence of 
letters and art, than by plunging headlong into every political contro- 
versy which agitates his age." This, and more to the same effect, 
is doubtless, on the whole, true. We would, however, venture respect- 



34 

fully to say in reply, that, while the poet is assuredly not to emulate 
Sir Matthew Meddle, in perpetually interfering in affairs that do not 
concern him, we can see no reason why he should, on the other hand, 
be a Rip Van Winkle, or even a Fontenelle, unconscious of aught 
passing around him, equally indifferent whether the world be going 
backward or forward, in prosperous repose, or distracted by tumults, 
or groaning under oppression. And though it be, and is admitted, 
that in the ordinary course of affairs the poet should not be found 
mingling and engaging in the conflicts and the turmoil of the political 
world, yet circumstances certainly sometimes arise, in which none 
but drowsy drones, or mere plodding book-worms, or selfish syco- 
phants, can remain silent and inactive ; and we do think that the con- 
dition, the sufferings of Germany, arising from the wars of Napoleon, 
were so extraordinary, so highly calculated to rouse every manly and 
° patriotic spirit, that we cannot conceive how any man, not destitute 
of every noble feeling, of every generous sympathy, could refrain 
from the utterance of intense indignation, — ^from the manifestation of 
the most devoted attachment to the interests of his bleeding country. 
But, from a selfish voluptuary like Goethe this was not to be 
expected. The same dispensation which remiis to the poet the debt 
of patriotism, nay excludes him from all interest and participation 
in his country's affairs, would, of course, embrace all men devoted to 
letters, or the pursuit of science. And then it should have been said 
to many, who, in past days, exerted a most salutary influence on pub- 
lic affairs : " You have gone beyond your appropriate sphere, — you 
must coiifine yourselves to the seclusion and the occupations of your 
study." But, not to notice more recent cases, was Franklin less a 
philosopher — were Davies, and Witherspoon, and D wight, less rever- 
end and useful divines, because they manifested a deep and active 
interest in the welfare of this nation, anS'^e success of our great 

revolution ? 

" Rectius vives, Licini, neque ahum 

Semper urguendo, neque, dum procellas 

Cautus Ij^rrescis, nimium premendo 

Litus iniquum." 

HoR. Cann. x. lib. ii. 



-itMlfe^Hie^e 



in b e r 



^apelle hs CQlnmtita College 

am 7. Wl at i 184S, 

gc^altcn eon 
^, % ©c^mibt, M. A., 

®«b^orb = 5Ptofeffoi: itv beutfc^en <Sipva^t unb Sitetatur. 






Find. 01. 1. 32, sq. Bockh. 



^ttf IJefeljl ber (Hitratordt gebrudit. 



JJ'itD-'Sork: 
©cbrucft bet ^. Cubmtg u, So., 

18 4 8. 



r tt) r t. 



5Dic l^icr folgcubc Olcbc hjurbe bor cinem biitc^gangig cng* 
lifc^rebenbcu 5liibitovtum gcl)alten, alfo urf^niuglic^ in engltfc^cr 
©)}ra(^e abgefa^t. (Eineu SOJoiiat fvciter :6ef(^Ioffen bie (Sura* 
toreu be^ Solinnfcia (Sottcgtv btefelbe in 2)ru(! erfc^einen §u 
laffen, xmb forberten jugteit^ ben SScrfaffer, ii)m i)6l(ig imijer* 
mut^et, auf, dm beutf^e Ue:6erfe^ung beifcl:6eu auS^ufcrttgen. 
2)iefeg 5(ufuc^eu g(au:6te er uic^t aljlet)ueu §u biirfeu. @§ 
hjurbe t^m obex fel)r I)alb beutlic^, toic [(^tuierig e§ oft [et, feiue 
eigenen @ebaufeu an^ etner Spxa^c in cim aubcre ju liter* 
tragen. 3)af bie I)ier auggef^roc^cueu 5tuft^teu ufceratt 33cifall 
ftnbeu hjerbeu, ba§ Id^t er fi(^ ni^t in ben <3iun fommen. 
SBemi a:6er, in S3etrac^t ber <B)()xa^c, bicfe 5(rteit oft fteif imb 
unfce!^olfeu nuSgefalleu tft, fo niuf er, in biefer SSejie^ung, um 
SRa(^fi(^t fcitten, f(^ou beS^alt, hjeil bieg HoS eiue Uctjerfe|ung 
ift, fobaitn a^ber au^, iueit e§ 511 gro^erer Umftc^t imb ©orgfalt 
Bet ber Sdi^arbeitiiug an S^t gebrac^, iubem e^ mtt ber 5tB* 
lieferung (Site l^atte. 

6r fiigt mir noc^ ^iuju ba§, oljiuo!^! er in feinem Urt^eile 
ufcer @5t^e me^rmalS barauf Jjiuiuetft, baf biefer 3!)t(^ter auc^ 
in ^eutf(^Ianb oft fet)r Btttercu, ater gere(^teit ^abel eingeerntet, 
i^m ijou ben bieleu uugiiuftigeu Oiejeuftonen, mit %n§naf)me 
SDienjetS, niemalS auc^ mir eiue ju @eft(^te gefommeu : er feunt 
bergleic^en nut au§ ben 3f'^f«ii«i'f» unb (Sc^md^fc^riften, bie 
t>on @6t:^e3 ^nUtmi ^ertoorgegangen fmb. 



^tttrttt^-Hfie. 



3nbem i^ ^eute bag 2lmt antrete, tt>elc^c3 man mix an biefer 
Stnfialt aiiijertraut ^at, ift e§ tnir §ur Dbliegen^eit gelnorbeu, 
toor biefer gce^rku SSetfammlung, liber irgcnb cineii ©egeuftaub, 
bcr auf bag mtr augehjtefene i^et)rfac^ i8ejte!)uiig Ijat, eiuc Oiebe 
ju ^alten. Urn biefer ^^fli^t auf bie jtuecfrnd^igfte SBeife na^^ 
§ii!ommen, ern)dt)lte i^ ben erftcu, ben fceften ©egenftanb, eiue 
ttergteid^eube S^arafteriflif, in))erfdnli(^ev,fDtt)ot)l alg literarif^er 
SBejiel^ung, ber fceibeu 9)?duucr, in bereii ©eiftegevjeuguiffeu bie 
beutf(^e i)id;tfunft fic^ jur l^crrli^cu S3lutl)e cutfaltet Ijat] bcr 
I6eibeu Mimer, bie i^r SSatcrlaub aU bie iDiirbigfteu ^ricfter bcr 
bcutfcjieu 3}Zufe feiert. ©g i)erftel)t fic^, ba§ ijou ©fitter uub 
@bti)t bie 9iebe ift. ^abe i^ mm f)iemit ben ©egenftaub gegeu* 
tDdrtiger 9iebc angebeutct, fo mii§ i(^ ^ugtei^ erHdren, ba§ ic^ 
mir, iet ber SBa^I bcffelfceu, ber (Sc^iuierigfeiteu mib ber mian* 
gene^meu Oiucffid^tcu, bie fcei ber J8e!j)aubhmg beffelljeu in S3c* 
trac^t fommeiv hJo^t :belt>u§t luar; bemi i(^ crfemtc aufg beut* 
lic^fte, baf bie 2(nfi(^teu, bie i^ augf^ret^eu njerbe, in miaug^' 
glei(^fcarent Soiiflifte ftel)eu mit ber fel)r aHgemeiii ^erbreiteten 
5tufi(^t, mit bem faft eiuftimmigeu Uxtljcil beutfc^er uub auc^ 
augh)drtiger ^uuftric^ter uub <S^riftuer, bie (^btl)c an bie (5^)i^e 
atler beutfc^cu ^ic^ter ftetleu uub il^u alg luiijergleic^Iic^ iu feiuet 
^errli(^eu ^uuft, ja alg iu berfelbeu uuerrei^bar fc^ilberu uub 
lot):preifeu. — @g biirftc hjo^t ni^t uu^jaffeub feiu, I)ier uoc^ ju 
fcemerfeu, ba§ biefe meiuc 5tufi^teu feiuegtoegg ucuertuorlbeuc 
ftnb ; feit laugeu 3«^tcu feftget)atteu, fcefefligeu \ic fic^ j[c mcl^r 
uub me:^r iu ^olgc geuauerer S3efauutf(^aft mit @otl)e'g (S(^rif=» 
tcu, uub (tub fie in ciuer litcrarifc^eu 3fitf<^vift Dcri^ffeutlic^t 
iDorbeu, lauge ei)c mix bag SScrgm'igeu §u 5^t)cit tuarb, in 2B, 
JKcujclg toortrcpc^em SBerfe iifcer bie bcutf^e ^ittxaUix, gan^ 



6 

d^uli(^e rittt fmfttgen SBorten au§geft)ro(^en, imb mit fc^tagcn* 
ben SSctceifen belegt §ii fe^eu. Uub i^ barf too^^I, urn no$ 
befttntmter ben SSortourf jiuiicf^utDeifen, al§ i^offe t(^ finger fetn 
alg 2(ubere, barauf l)nibeiiteu, baj ja im beutfc^eu SSaterlaube 
felbft ijiele aufgelldrte, ijerftdubige nub re(|t[(^affeue SOMnuer 
gletd; t)ou Dome ^ereiu eruftlid; tt)re (Bttmme er^oben tutber bie 
iibevtrieBeneu ^orbenmgeu, bte 511 @i3t:^e'g ©imfteii ijou fetiieu 
mmidjngeu 33etoimbereru [tub aufgeftetlt icorben, bereu ^ide 
i^n gerabeju p ttergotteru fic^ ntc^t eutblobet ^aBeu. 

(Sf)e iDir al&er mm jur iuirflic^eu (ErCrtenmg ber Befouberen 
(Sigeufc^afteu mtb jiir S}erglct(^mig ber etgent^iimlic^eu SSer* 
bieufte jeiier betbeu ^o^gcfeievtcn 2)Mimer [(^retten, miiffen tuir 
no(^ ijorldiiftg bte ©rimbfdj^^e feftftetteu, na<^ iuelc^eu \mx fie 
beiirtl}ei[eii irevben, ober, in aubereu SBorteu, bart^im, ^^S toir 
^u jeber Beit i)ou bem|eiugeu forbenx imb forbern muffcii, ber aiif 
ben ftol^eu Oiu^m etneS 3)t(^terg 2(uf:prii(| mac^t (E§ fragt fi(| 
alfo : 2Ba§ ift be§ ^oeteu ©eubmig 5 ioa^ tft be§ 3)tc^ter§ 
aSeruf? 

3it getotffer ^ejtel^mtg Btetet ba§ (SrbeuleBen feiue I)oI)ere 
(Seubmig bar, aU bte etueS dc^ten mib toa!)rf)aft c^rtftltc^en 
2)tc^ter§ : feiueu erl)aBenent SSeruf at§ ben ehieS @etfte§, ber, t)on 
ber ^ieOe §u ®ott mib 3)?enfd)eu mib jur ^errlt(^en ^atiix tmitgji 
bur(^brimgcu, bte foftlic^e @abe ctii:pfaiigeu l^at, in beg ©du* 
gerg fii^en mib l^iurei^eiibcu SBetfeii, femeit cx^abcnm (Sr^eug* 
niffen ©eftatt, feiueu glu^eubeti (Em^ftitbmtgeu (5^ra(^e §11 t>er^ 
Ieit)en, mib mit ergretfeiibeii ^oiieii in 5(iibern bte ©ebaiifeii mib 
@eful)Ie 511 erlnedeii, bte [eiue (Seele burc^fc^auerm — 3)amit fott 
beim freilic^ !eiue§it)eg§ gefagt feiii, bag e§ irgeiib etueii SSeriif 
gdlje, ber ait mib fi'ir fi(^ eri)abeiier mib !)eiliger iudre, ai§ ber 
SSeriif beffeii, ber na(| aUerl^iJc^fter SSerorbiumg bie ^efugiiif 
er^atteii ^at, ba§ SBort ijou ber SSerfot)mmg ju :prebigen. — 5t!6er 
c6 ift be§ 3)t(^tcr§ 33eruf in biefer ^^tnfi^t ber grogte, bag fein 
5liiberer eiu fo umfaffeiibeS ®chkt fcel)errf(^t 5Denu e§ iDirb 
bemieiiigeii, ber mimittelljar bem 3)ieiifte beg .§eiligt!^mti8 oB* 
liegt, felteii eiu auggebel^uter S5?(rfmig§frei§ ^u ^'i)tii, mib ge* 
tt)ot)iili(^ ift er auf eiueu eugeu ]()ef(f;rduft j ber 5)i(|ter ^iugegen, 



finbet Si^i^itt uub 5(nHaug hci ^UUn : Bci ,§oT)en nub ^Jicbrigcn, 
hci ^higen uub ^mfdfttgeii, Ui .5'iigcub()afteu nub SSeviDorfcueu ; 
gu ^ikn uub 3cbem ^al^ut cr fid) ^^cg ; fctu 3Bort brhigt ju 
5(ricn, nt(^t nur fcincS cigciicu SSolfeS, foiibcvn bcv gan^en 
9)ienfc(;f)cif; uub ,5'aufcubc, bic bcui cvuftcu ©ttteu[ct)rcr, bcm 
eutfc^icbcucu ^Prcbtger beS t)ei[t>vtugcubcu ilBovtcS eiu taubeS 
D^r jufc{)vcu, fd;iDeIgcu im ©euuffe feiuer ^iurei^eubeu ^ieber. 
2Gie ;6ebcutuug§i>oU i]t be§f)alb bev 5(u§[^h-u(^ jcuc§ 5Di^tcrg : 
„9)(tr ift'g gletc(;yicl, Ji?cr bcm SSoffc ©cfc^e Dovfc^vciOt, lucuu 
man mix uur yerguuut, beffeu IMebcv ju bic^tcu!" 

2lll?eru ift cS imb Id(^cv(ic^, beu 3)ic^tcv nuS bcm ©cluctc beg 
2Ba!f)vcu uub 5Gtvf[id;cu ,5;u i^cvbauucu, \mc fdiou toou SStcIcu, j.a 
toou 3)tc()tcru fclbft, gcfcBcI)cu ift. (S§ Id^t fid; buv^auS fctu 
l^altl>avcr Oruub augcbcu, it)cf^i)aU>, Wic \id) ciu cuglifc^cr ©c^n-tft* 
ftcKcr au^briicft, „bcr 3)id)tcr fief; bcr 3)arftcnuug bc§ 3©ai)tcn 
uub SBirflic^cu burc^auS cutl)a(tcu uu'i^tc;" uub fid;cr Ijat fctucr, 
bcr fotc^c 9)?ciuuugcu auS^uf^ncc^cu ijctmag, jcmalg bic ^icbcr 
bcS (SdugcrS in 3^vacf, obcr bic im crl)aljcuftcu ^^octifd^cu @cifte 
ijcrfa^tcu (Sc^riftcu bcr ^ro).il)ctcu bc§ altcu JBuubcS mit 3(uba^t 
gclcfcu uut) bct)cr5igt. „3)cr 5D{d?tfuuft Ocbict," fagt bcr fo 
ebcu augcjogeue (Bd;riftftc((cr, „i\t uutcgrdujt; c§> fd;Iic§t fciucn 
©egcuftaub an§, uub mau barf bcr 5]3ocfic cbcu fo U3cujg ©d;rau* 
feu t>orfd;rciC»cu, at§ bcm 3)cufiicruiogcu, bcr ^offiumg uub bcm 
@IauI)cu bc§ 9)(cufd;cu, bcrcu l)i3d)ftcr (Sr^oucut uub crbatcuftcr 
5(u§bru(f fie i^tj bcuu burc^ fie tutrb geifti^olfcr ber @cift, l;o[f* 
HuugSreic^cr bie ^ojfmmg uub aubdd;tigcr bic Oicligiou." 

3)cr 3!)i(^ter foU uiiS uic^t uur ba§ @ro|le uub @d;rc(fli(^c, 
baS <S(^due uub ©cfdlltgc aufc6auli(| mnc^cu uub beu: 9i)?tubcr* 
Begabtcu beu @cuu§ bereitcu, beu bicfc (Stgcufd)nftcu gcuxit^rcu, 
foubcru cr foK ciubriugeu iu bag 2Bcfcu ber 2)iugc, foil bereu 
gel)cimui^i)o((e (Bprac^c cutjiffcru uub bereu iicf\k ©cbcutuug cr* 
griiubcu, uub uu§ jluubc gebcu \3ou beu mauuigfaltigeu 5(ugelc= 
gcul)ciieu uub 93ert)d[tuiffeu uub bcm uuauft)orIi(^eu ^cc^fet beS 
meufc^lid)cu !?ebcu3; bic 3"iefcu bc8 9}?eufd)euf)er5cu3 fott cr 
burc^f)3dl)eu, uub au'S ^id)t forbcru baS 33o[e, baS c§ blrgt, bag 
®nk, bag eg bcf)erl)crgt ; fott beffeu uicbrigc 33cgicrbeu uub 



8 

jlrafbare MUn^a^tm, 'ooxm1)m\i^ aUt feme temften SCBiin* 
f(^e, feine :^eiligften ^offumtgcu Ijeleu^ten, unb jebem 3SerIangen, 
jeber c^offmntg, jcbet ©e^nfui^t, bie angemeffeite (Bpxa^c, baS 
iebeutuuggijoffe SSort 'onkii)m, — 2)em 5Dtc^ter barf fetit @e* 
genftanb 5:1 germg ober i)erd(^tlt($ fc^einen, unb leitet bte get)u^= 
tenbe (S:f)rfur(|t imb Qtnbac^t feme ^eber, fo ift feiner fo er^a^ben 
imb ^enli^, baj er t:^u nt(^t beftugeu biirfte. 5t6er — imb biefc 
govberungntujmitunetljtttt^er ©trenge gelteub gema(^t merben 
— obex er barf niemalg fot^ergeftalt bte ^^arten mif(|en, ba§ 
Ungeretmt^etten entfte^^eu, tuie fie img ^oxa^ in feinem S3riefe 
an bte ^tfonen fc^tlbert; ntemal§ barf er bte ©egenftdnbe, bie 
er Be^anbett, in ein falf(^e§ Sid^t ftelien. — (S§ fei ii)m gerne ijer* 
gonnt, bag ©emeine unb Uneble mit iifcertriefcener ©trenge ^u 
§u(^tigen, bem @(^Ie$ten etne jiriefac^e S5ertDerf[i(^fett §uju* 
fc^reiben, unb bie (Siinbe mit ben f(|todr§eften ^^arfcen a^juf(^it== 
bem; eg lt)irb it)m gerne fcetDttligt, ja e§ toirb i»on i1)m t)ertangt, 
ba§ er alle§ (5(^one, (Sble unb @ute mit ber ©rajie l^olber %n^ 
mut^ befteibe, unb feine ^^antafte erfc^o^jfe, 5(tte§ !^iefcli(^e unb 
5((^tung§tt)ert^e mit feffelnben Oteijen ju fc^miitfen; a^er er 
Wibc immer unb iiberall ber SBal)rl)eit untoanbelbar getreu, unb 
niemalg trete er ber iuirfli^en 33ef(^affen^eit, ben ein fiir attemal 
feftgeftettten SSer^dlttiiffen feiner ©egeitftdnbe §u na^e. (Sr l^iite 
ft(^, ba^ er ni(|t bie ^d^dt, bie ^ugenb, bie 3!}?enf(^enIieBc 
berbd(^tig ma^e, ober gar in ein i)erd(|tli(^eg unb gel)dffigeg 
^i^t fteKe. ^iegt eg if)m an, ung 9)?itleib gegen bie SSerbor^enen 
unb (Straffcaren einjuffo^en, fo iuolle er bo^ begiregen i:^re SSer=* 
toorfen^eit mtb if)re ©c^utb nid;t mit trugli(^em ^tttterftaate Be* 
mdnteln; ijor 2tttem afcer fe^^e er fi(^ S)ox, baj er bem ©^dnbli== 
^en mtb Safter^afteit, ber 9f{u(^tofigfeit uttb bem SSerbrec^en 
ni(^t §auBerif(^e Oteije anbt(^tet, bie geeignet icdreit, bie Unfi^ul* 
bigen mtb Un^erborBenen §u tdufc^en mtb ju Derfiil^reit, bie ^u=^ 
flernen mtb Safter^aften §u locfen, unb ben ©efallenen mtb UefccI* 
tl^dtern ein Sitgengehjattb umju^dngen. 

95on ber itmerften Sffielt ber 2)i(^terfeele ift ^ier bie 9?ebe ni^t 
9l6er toon ml^cx S3cf^affen^eit W (Srjeugttiffe beg 5£)i(^terg 
nun immer fein miJgen, unb t>on tuelc^er 5lrt bie ^robucte, bie 



9 

fciue fc^o^ferifc^c ^^autafte in fciueS @eifieg 3^icfm ^cx'ooxhxhiQt, 
fo uiiterlicgt er boc^, [obalb er mit beufclbeu ijor bag ^^iil?(ihim 
txitt, ben udmlic^en ©efe^eu h)ie anbetc ^liuftler. SGodte ber 
9)?aler obcr ber 33ilbl)auer uujuc^tige 33ilbcr imb obfcdue ®xnp' 
:|)cn §ur 'Bdjan ftcden, in ber .^offiumg, ftc| mit bem iu'rle|jteu 
fitttic^eu @efiil)Ie tugeubf)after 9}2enf(^eu mit ber (Sutfc^iUbigmig 
a^jiifiuben, ba§ feiiie aufto^igeu (Srjeuguiffe eiiie imi)erglei(J)(t^c 
t^ertigfcit fceurfuiibeu, nub aU Jlunfttuerfe mitabel()aft mib "ooU^ 
fommen feieii, fo mii^teu iuir il)m muimiDUubeii erfldreii, ba^ ber 
Mufttcr, ber mig ba§ fitttid) ^d^lit^e iiub SSeratjfc^emuiggtDur* 
bige burc^ (Sc^onl^eit ber ^orm, bur^ elegante (Btelhmg mib 
fimireic^e ^altuiig em^fel)teu h^id, imferu gefuubeu S0?eiif(l;eu^er* 
ftaub mib jebeS eblere @efuf)l beleibigt — 3)e3 2)?eufd;eu Seben 
'i)at ju I)ol)cu 2Bert^, aU ba§ er uur nac^ Uuterl)altmig trad^ten 
follte, auf Jtoftcu jeber anbereu OJiicfftc^t, jebeS ^bijcxcn ^ebiirf* 
niffeg. Uub getrif?, uur banu l^at ba§ 5(eu§ere, ba§ gormale ge« 
hjic^tigeu SBertI), toemi eS ieneu iniubigercu mib eblereu Si^frffn 
bieiiftljar mib forberIi(^ i\t Uub beS^alb irrt ber 2)i(^ter gelualtig 
uub leibet au ber ^eflageugtuertl^efteu SSerbfeubuug, ber \i^ mx' 
mai ber 5lufic^t i^iugegebeu \)ai, bag e§ ii)m frei fte^e, feiue ]^err* 
lic^eu ®abm ju feiuem auberu ^ub^tuecfe §u fceuu|eu, [eiuc 
^miftfertigfeit in feiuer auberu 5(bft(^t iu 5tu§ubuug ju Ijriugen, 
alS uur [eiueii 3eitgeuoffeu Uuter{)a[tuug uub ^etuftiguug §u ijer* 
fd^affeu, ol)ue erufte 9?u(f ftc^t §u ue^meu auf bie ^er^^euSbitbuug, 
bie bem 9)?euf(^eu mimiterbrod^eu 9}orf(^uI) leifteu fo(t iu fciuem 
©trebeu na^ ber (Erfuttuug ber grojeu uub hjic^tigeu S^^de, 
beueu feiu ^chcn geiuei^t feiu foil — SSeuu eg aber mm ^icar 
ber grellfte llufiuu icdre, bariiber f>ier in 5l6rebe feiu §u iuoffeiv 
ba^ e§ bem 3)i(^ter imertd^tic^e -li>fli^t i\i, in ber 2)arfte(Iuugg* 
fuuft f'eiueu erreic^bareu @rab ber SSortrefffict^feit mierftrebt §u 
laffeu, uub uac^ ber du§erfteu (5c§out)eit ber ^orm uub ^(egauj 
beg (BtX)[^ ^n trac^teu, fo fiiib bieg boc^ immer uur uutergeorbuete 
(Srforberuiffe — ©rforberuiffe, allerbiugg, a:6er boc!^ Uo^ .§ulfg* 
mittel, ben ©ebaufeu uub (Em))fiubuugeu, bereu 3^rdger fie fiub, 
atteutf)alkn dm giiuftigere 2iufual)me uub SSea^tuug ^u gc* 
toiuuen. 



10 

^kxnaU fann ©^ou^eitber ?^orm ba§ Rafter ijerebein; abet 
iDcmt an^ cin aumutl)tgc§ uub reijeubeS ^leu^ere ber d(^ten 
Otec^tfc^affcu^eit uub ^Tugeub etu freubtgereg ^ffiillfommeu imter 
SO^eufc^eu Bereiteu !auu, fo bebiirfeu bod^ btefe be§ frembeu ^i(^* 
te§ utd^t; ja iibcralt U)ivb it)ueu ui^t uur bie SSeUjuuberuug uub 
bie tuuigfte Stuerfeumnig alter ebleu ©eeleu, fouberu oft mi^ bie 
5((|tung ber 9?o^eu uub :?afterl)afteu §u Z^di, felbft hjeuu fie in 
ber xmf(^etuBarfteu ©eftalt auftreteu. (^§ fauu atfo ui(|t§ ben 
3)i(|ter f)ere^ttgeu, bie uul)eilbriugeube, i)erberBli(^e ^eubeuj 
feiuer ©eiftee^robucte mit fetuer ijolteubeteu 3)arftelluuggfuuft 
§u rei^tfertigeu : iljm gel^ort ebeu fo iceuig al§ aubereu bie S3e* 
fugui^, beuS^oIfggcift ju eutuerioeu imb ^u berberbeu, ba§ ftttti(|e 
SSehju^tfeiu ber 2)?eufc^l)ett ^u jerrutteu uub ju ijerhjiifteu, uub 
^erua(^,U3euu totr uuS iilber fetu teufiif^eg^^reibeu t)eHageu, uu§ 
Tuit berfred;ai3lugflu(^tabjuf^eifeu,bag er mit uui>ergleid;(ic^em 
©(f)arffiuue, mit tabetlofer Jtuuftfertigfeit, ntit alter ^raft feiueS 
3)ic^tergeuieggefveoeCtl)abe. — @§ ift be§3)i(^ter§ n^abnux S3e* 
nif, ber9}?eufd;t)eit tiefyerborgeue (Sc^d^e beS^iffeug §u eutl)u(* 
leu 5 ba§meuf(^li(^elH'beu5utierf^5ueru, ju i^erebetu imb in jeber 
S3e5iet)uug5uyevl}err[i(^en. (SrfolIuugbaSiuuere uub get)eimui§= 
ijolle ^efeu ber belebteu uub ber leblofeu Sdatur eutfalteu, im§ iiber 
berborgeue SSerl)d[tuiffe uub ^^ed^fetoirfuugeu 2(uff(^lu§ gebeit, 
uuSbiegroj^artigfteu uub erl^abeufteu, mib uid^t uiiubcr bie fc^ou* 
fteu, bie^ier[i(^fteu, bie lieblici^fteu (Srf(^eiuuugeu biefcr f)errli(^en 
(£(^o:pfuug aufd)aulic^ mai^eu. — (Sr foil iu Wm, bie feiu bc^' 
geifierteg ^ort »eruei)rneu, beu <Bmi eru^edeu fiir bie tiefe uub 
l?e5ief)uug0i3D(Ie SSebeutfauifeit biefeS uufereg Ujuuberfcar uian^ 
uigfaltigeu ;^eBeu§ auf (Srbeu. — (Sr beftrebe fic^ beu faufteftcn 
Slietguugeu, beu ebelfteu .^riebeu, beu reiufteu ©i}ui:patl)ieu, fo 
h3te au^ beu ^eiligfieu ^offuuugeu, ber ftetg auf bag UuiDan* 
belbare uub (Si^ige gertc^teteu (2et)ufu(^t ber 9)?euf(^eufeele, eut* 
toeber iu faufteu imb fi'i^eu ober iu md(^tig ^iurei^eubeu 3"ouen, 
5(uSbruc! 5u i^erlei^eu, — (Sv foil feiue a)?it^i[ger burd; bieg ge* 
l^eimui^ijolte ^eBeu aufmerffam ma^m auf bie (Stimme ber 
3(tlmad;t, ber uueub[i(^eu ®ei0l)cit uub ^khc, bie ba§ ^'eltatt 
l^ier fauft burd;fdufelt, bort md(^tig imb ergreifeub burc^tout, 



11 

uub fic aittctteu in bem (Iutii3t(fcliing§gangc beS ^e6euS (Siujet* 
ncr, bc§ ^aniiticiH bc§ SSoffSlckuS uub bev 5Celtgefci;ic^tc, bem 
SBattcu ber gottlid^cu 9Sorfct)uug uad)ju|>iivcu, uub §u erfcuueu 
tote uberaH eiu l^ciftgciv l^ou uutrugUc[;cv iIBet^t)ett geleitctcv, mit 
uueublic^eui ^^ol}[toDl[cu i;cvbuubeucr SBiffe bie <3d;icffa[c Pilfer 
uub ;3ebev Icuft uub auovbuet — ^n bcr gcfalligcu uub ))o^ni[dveu 
2)arftelfuuc}§art bcS ^Dic^terS foil ba§ 5Bal)re bent 2)?eufd;eu Iic= 
BeuStoiubii] uub au^iel)eub erfd;ciueu : bie ^ugeub, bie 9Jeb(i(^!eit 
foU er uu§ iu il)ver uugefd^uuKcvteu uub eigeutl;um[tc^eu (Bd)oiu 
^cit uub ^crrlid;feit f^ilbevu, uub bag Rafter iu feiuer gaujeu, 
uutievftedteu SScrtocvfiic^feit baifteHeu, uur baniit c§, kibeS uac^ 
feiuer iuuercu 3Befeul)eit uub feiuer tt)atii3eu (^rfd^eiuuug, 2(|)= 
fc^eu errege. — (§in Vates iu l}i31)erem uub beffereui Siuue, aU 
jemalS bie 3((teu al)ueteu, foil er bur(^ feiueg @efauge§ 2)iacl;t 
baS SOJeufd^eulyer^ ju intmer fteigeuber, ju immer aubd(i;tigcrer 
S3etouuberuug uub 35erel)ruug be^ er^et)eu, ber aU ^errfc^er 
ber 3Bett iu ber .§i31)euub iui .§eilii3tl)uute U3Dl)Ut; er foil mit 
^3ricfter[id;er »lpaub iu bemfe[l)eu udl)reu bie l)eilige (^[amuie bet 
tuuigfteu ^iebe ju bem eiugeOorueu (Sol)ue i)om 3Sater, ber uutcr 
uu§ )Dol)uete ijoller ©uabc uub ilBal)rt)ett Uub toill ber ^id)ttx 
biefeu erl)al)eueu uub l)errlicl;eu (Sub^toecfeu uiit g[ucf[iii)eut ^r^ 
fotgc uac^ftreBeu, fo hick er alle .trdfte feiueS @dftc§ anf, mac^c 
fid) mit bcu O^efuttateu aller toiffcufc^afttii^eu ^^orfc^uug i)er= 
traut, bamit ba§ gau^^e ®dnct be§ 2Biffeu§ il)m ^iu^bar luerbe, 
uub i^eratfdume fctuS ber ^^iipmittel feiuer ebfeu ^uuft. (So 
freigebig er and) immer mit bem li3ftltd;eu (Bc^mude feiueS .R'uuft* 
reic^tt)umS feiu mag, wix tocvbcu bes^alb uid;t mit i^m red;teu, 
fo er il)u uur ba^u yertocubet, ba§ uuS baS (5d)oue, (Srl)at)eue 
uub (Stite aufd}au[id)er uub aujicljcuber, ba§ ©d}led;te uub S5er== 
toerflid)e ater iribriger uub i>erat)fd;euuugeu.nirbiger trerbe. 

35>ir befc^lie^eu biefe flud)tige ltcl)erfid;t ber ^orberuugeu, btc 
toir uuttebiugt au bcu 3)id)ter uiad)eu miiffeu, uiit fotgeubeu 
trcffeubeu Sorteu beS Dr. 3ol)ufou ufcer bie ^lilfSmittel ber 
3)id)tfuuft. „5)em 2)i(^tev barf feiu ®cUct beg ®i[feug fremb 
feiu, beuu ba i]i uid^tg, ba§ il)m uid)t uii^eu fouute. 9}iit allem 
(Bd)bnm, mit allem ^urd;tt)areu mu^ feiue (Siubilbuuggl'raft 



12 

tocrtraut fetn. ©em @eifl er^eBe fi(^ ju bem urtenblt(^ @ro^en, 
uBerfe^^e obex au<^ ni^t ba§ jierlic^ Metne. 5Dte ^fKan^en be8 
@arten§, bte ^T^iere be§ SSalbeS, bie ©efteiue beg @rbret^§, bie 
(Srfc^etnungeu ber Suft muffcu i?eremt feinen @etft mit uner= 
f(|5^flt(^en ©litem Beretc^ern; benn jebeS getfttge 33eft|tt)iim 
bieut §ur 33e!rdfttgung unb ^rldutenmg reltgtofet S33at)r^ett ; 
unb berjenige, ber fi(^ bie meifteu ^eimtuiffe erttorBen ^at, ^at 
fiber bie gro^te SDJauuigfaltigfeit in ber* ^Darftetlung ju geBieten, 
unb h)ei§ am Befteu ben ^efer mit fimireit^en ^luf^ieluugeu unb 
unertcarteter 33ele:^rung ^u erfreuen f)." 

S[Benn unl nun imfere geneigten 3u^orer einrdumen ii?oEen, 
baj bie l)ier au§gef^3ro(^enen 5tnfi(^ten, toel(^e, iuie un§ bdu^t, 
mit beneu be§ gro^en fo cben angejogenen 3}?DraIiften imb 2)i(^* 
terS ijoHlommeit iiBereinftimmen, giiltig finb, fo tcirb e§ feine 
[(^tDierige 5(ufgabe fein, §u entfi^eiben, toe^er ijon unferen beiben 
2)i(^tern, ©(filler ober @ot^e, bie gegriinbetften 5lnf^ru(^e ^at 
auf bie SSctouuberung unb bie ^anfbarfeit ber 3[)2enf(^^eit. 

3)ieg mu^ benn freili(^ bon toorne iierein jugegeBen toerben, 
ba^ iuir, bur(^ bie l^ier toorgetragenen 5(nfi(^ten, einen ©tanb* 
:|3un!t eingenommen ^aBen, ber bemjenigen t)ottig entgegengefe^t 
tft, i»ott toetc^em au§ bie meiften ^unftric^ter, unb namentli(^ 
(Sarl^te, benen Sltteg toa§ ijon @dt^e ^errii^^rt, Beiuimberng* 
unb lobenSiDert:^, ni(|t§ aBer tabelnSlDiirbig unb toerhjerflic^ er* 
f^eint btefen 3)i^ter Beurt^eilt ^abm. — ^ene Sc^riftner fel^en 
untoerfennBar in @ot:^e ni^tg aU ben Mnftler, unb fte biirfen 
i^m, au6) mit bem Beften Stiffen, feinen J)o^eren ^toed Beimef* 
fen, aU ben, bie du^erfte artiftift^e S5ott!ommen^ eit §u erftre* 
Ben. — 3'^ax hjilt (Sarl^te M i»on feiner ^Woral tciffen, unb 
t»on feinem religiofen @IauBen; t>on feinem tugenb^aften unb 
frommen SBanbel. 5(Ber an§ feiner (SalBabereiiiBerbiefen^unft 
leuc^tet fo beutlic^ |ene fre(|e ?^reigeifterei, bie ftc^ in ber mober* 
nen Siteratur fo anmajenb geBerbet, jeneS ft^totternbe, f(^lar* 
fenbe, alteS re(^tfertigenbe3errBilb berSieBe l^eriJor, t)or bem bie 
ffierniinftler unfer§ Seitalterg fo anbd(^tig ba§ ^nie Beugen, bag 
jeber ernfte ^m\^, bem <Bittli^tdt unb Oteligion SGBorte tiefjlet 

t) 2lu5 So^nfon'S 3injfel«8 frei iibevfefet. 



13 

unb l^ctligfier S3ebeutimg fmb, niir SCibcrtuitfen cm^ftnben fann. 
— SBtr toiffeu unferfettg toon feiucr aiiberu 9)?oraI no(!^ Ole(> 
gion, aU ber, fo ba§ 2Bort @otteg le^ret, uub lutr ijetttjerfeu aiif g 
(Sutfc^iebeufte 5UIe§, ma§ mit biefem ilBort tm 3Biberf^)ruc^ ifl. 
@§ »erftef)t fic^, ba^ toon ben I)e{bntfc^eu 2)tc^tern be§ f[affif(^en 
3(ltcrt^umg f)ier gar iu(^t bie 9^ebe feiu faun ; aber net)meu hjir 
{I)r Befc^rdnfteg Stiffen in 23etrac^t, fo fc^d^cu hjir ben refigidfen 
uub fittlid^eu (^i)axafUx SSieler berfelbeu uuglei(^ ^of)er, alg btc 
lum^tgeu 2)?a§feu, bie ft(^ [(^aareuireiS feit beu Ie|teu ^iuei 3«^t* 
l^uubertcu iumitteu c^riftfic^er 9S5l!erfc^afteu l)erumtummclu. — 
(E0 ^aubett ftc^ J)ier ijou eiueni 3)ic^ter, bcr einem S5ol!e augc* 
l^orte, uub fiir baffelte f^rieb, hjelc^eS fic^ boc^ geiui^ uo(^ jum 
6!^rifleut!^um befauutc, uub ber auf bie 5Deu!U)eife uic^t aUein 
be3 beutf(^eu SSoIfeS, fouberu auberer aufgeHdrteu SSijIfer eiuen 
uuermejlic^eu 6iuflu§ auSiibte, imb uo(^ lauge duf eru iuirb. — 
Uub ba ift eg ebeu bie ?5rage: toiefte^t e§ um biefeu (Siuflup 
2Bag {)at er l^ertiOTgebra(|t, uub luaS h)irfet er je^t uo^? 33et 
ber religiofeu 9ii(^timg beffelbeu ^abm h3ir ui(^t uot^ig, uuS 
lauge ju berhjeiteu. — SBir Ibe^au^jteu fc^le(^terbiug§, baj bcr 
2)i(^ter, ber bie ^eilige (S(^rift eutlueber gauj iguorirt, obcr il)re 
toic^tigfteu Se^reu uub it)re er^abeueu ^erf6uli(^feiteu mit 9Ser= 
ac^tuug be^aubelt ober fie fogar mi^beutet uub toerjerrt, um fie 
mit feineu l^^itofo^^ifi^eu 5(ufi(^teu, uub feiuer gcf(^meibi* 
geu SOZoral in Uebereiuftimmung ju !6riugeu, uimmerme^^r fur 
mm c^riftlic^eu 3)i(^ter gelteu fauu, uub ba^ feiu (Eiuflu§ auf 
beu religi5feu 6f)arafter ber ^^efeiuett, ua^ 9}?a^gabe feiueS Um* 
faugS, eiu ijerberblic^er feiu mu§. — Uub lueuu eg uuu auSgc* 
ma^t ift, ba§ @ot^e ber l^eiligeu (Sc^rift i^xm g5ttlic^eu Ur* 
fpruug f(^tec^t:^iu abf^rac^, biefelbe fiir eiu Ujieber^^olt retoibirteg 
uub Derbefferteg (Sr§eugui§ fattibter 9)?euf(^eu erildrte, uub atteg 
bagfeuige, toelc^eg er in berfelbeu uid^t i^ottfommeu begrei* 
feu ober bittigeu fouute, aU uutergef^obeu t>erh)arf; hjeuu er 
in t)erf(^iebeueu ^au))tle^reu ber (Sc^rift eutiueber uur ^utt)eri* 
f(J^eg ^aubertodtfc^, ober abgefc^macfteu Uufum fiubeu fouute: 
tocnn er in feiueu le^teu ;?ebeugjta^reu jebe 5(ufforberuug ijon 
Siitm U3oI)Imeiueuber ?5teuube, bod^ eublic^ eiumal bem toic^tig* 



14 

flen alkx @egeu|ldube feme ernfte 3(ufmer!fant!eit §u f^enfen, 
entoeber mit ftitler SSerac^tiuig, ober mtt mum bei^enbcn (?^)t= 
gramme t»ou ftc^ irteS; iveim er offeutlt(^ erildrte, „man miiffc 
f{(^ t)ou folc^eu [teltgtofen] S3u(|ern nic^t fufyteu laffen; mail ur* 
t^eile bana(^ ixbtx meuf(^li(|e unb gottlic^e S^iiige, mib am 
mel)rften iibcx eigeue 3iiftdiibe fei)i: l6efangen. 3t)n migftige bet* 
glei(|en:" tDcun er eubtt(^ ftatt be§ grofeu ^et)TgeBdiibe§ ber l)d^ 
Itgen ©(^vift, -ctu ro^eS Soiiglomerat be§ ^raufceubentaleu imb 
be§ ^raftifc^eii 3u[ammenfto))))eIt it)el^e§ ben 3'ttel bet ett>mf(|en 
unb ber ))l)i[Dfo^t)tf(^eu Sftcligtoueu ful)rt, §u bereu erfterer bie 
S3tlber au§ bem ^tfteii, ^u ber Ie|teren au§ bem S^ieueu entle^nt 
fetu tDotteu; toemi bte§ 3trfeS uiileugBar feftftei^t, it>ie faun benn 
®bfi)c no^ fiir eineu c^viftlic^eu 3){(^tcr gelteu? 3ii-^fifft§ol)nc 
iuar @ot^e, lute fo biele @elet)rte uuferer 3fit c»i !paut^eift. 
Unb ba e§ feme ^eftimmt auggef^ro(^ene 9)?etmmg trar, ba^ ,,bte 
9f{ettgion, iuie anbere moralifc^e (Stufiiiffe, nur bie £)berfld(^e ber 
menf(^lt(^en @efettf(^aft Bef)err[(^e/' fo tear e§ ja ganj in ber 
Drbuung, ba§ er fic^ urn bie ^eljreu nub ^fltc^teu berfelfceu fer== 
Iter ni^t ^eMmmerte. — 2Bir gefte!)en e§, ba§ 33urger'§ frbole 
@(^na!eu, imb SS^rouS fuf)ne S^dtterei, mt§ iu(^t fo fel)r juiDi* 
ber ftub, al§ @dtl)e§ farboiuf(^e§ ^eic^fen, mib felbftgefdlttge^ 
'^o^nla^dn, luenn er ^etltge (Segeuftdnbe be^aubelt 

UeBer feineu ^oettf(^en ©eiiiuS im 5tffgemeinen biirfeu iDir un3 
litest ijertueitlduftigeu, tubem e§ gegeutodrtig mtfere etgentlic^e W>* 
ft(^t {ft, ben ^tnfluf, ben fetn ^et>en unb feine (S(^riften ju du== 
fern geeignet ftub, tn§ gel)drtge ^i(|t ju ftellen. ^sir finb e§ !et* 
ne^iregg in ^Ibrebe, ba^ @ot^e§ :poetif(^e§ talent etn felten iifcer* 
troffene§ tuar. 9tei(|Itc^ toar er mit ben @a:6en auSgeftattet, Ut 
jum grofen 3)i(^ter erforberli(| finb. ^it einem griuibli(|en, 
Haren unb umfaffenben ©c^arftlic!, ber fi^uell ber 9Jatur unb 
bem 9}?enf(^enle6en i^re ))oetif(^e <Bdk a^blaufc^te, unb raft^ aU 
Ie§ I)erau§fanb, it>a§ in ben @egenftdnben, ben @rf(^einungen, 
ben (^ntJDirfelnngen be§ gefelfigen ^e^eng, bie fi$ i^^m barBo* 
ten, ber ^oetifc^en 2)arftettimg fdt)ig tear; mit einer (RhibiU 
bung§!raft t>on imermeflic^em 9Jei(^t^um, unb einer ^J^antafic 
'oon unerf^6))fli(^er JProbuctiDitdt, i)on unbegrdn^ter 33reite, abet 



15 

femegt»cg§ t>on gleic^md^ig aufirdrtS ftrefceubcr ^raft; mtt ci* 
Tiem5(nf^amiug§t)ermdgcu, hjelc^eS bie gel^eimfteu (St;ni))att)ien, 
bie i^crborgeuftcu 3nfflt"nteut)duge entbccfte, nub an^ jtuifc^cn 
fi^ciiibar hjiberfprec^eubeu (Slemeuteu tiefliegeiibe Sufanimeus 
flange f)erau§^Drte; mit eiucm ru^igcu Urt^eif, eiuem corvef= 
ten ^uuftgef(^macf, bcr fic^ erfu{)neu burfte, mit fefter «§aiib ^u 
orbueu, §u i^crehieu, imb aufS ubcrra[(f)eiibfte fd)ou §u gru^))i= 
ten, tcag fi^ ju meibeii, la 1do1)[ aujufeiubcit [c^icu; mit ciucm 
Uuterfc^eibmigSijevmiJgen, bem ba^ rein ^vofaifc^e nub iffiiber* 
f^euftige fe[teu entgiug ; mit eiuer tuf)igeu SSorfic^tigfeit, bie an^ 
in fturniifi^cu 5(uftritteu if)r ©leic^getuic^t bei)ie[t; mit atfeu bie* 
feu l)b^\i iuic^tigeu ©igeufc^aftcu ijerl)aub ex me 2)avftc(fmig^= 
fuuft, eineu SBortreic^t^^um, eiucii fauft ba^iu ftie^eiibcii, in fciuer 
ciufac^eu (Sc^oue mib feiuer ftiHeu diiiijc imi?crg[cic^licl;cu (St^I, 
cine il^errfc^ergetoatt im @eljiet :^oetif(^er ?^ormeu, bie i)ief(ei(^t 
niemalS iitertroffeu tuerbeu famt. — ^etra(^teu luir i\)n uur aU 
leiu aB ^i^kx, fo l}abm iuir an ii)m t)ovuel)mli^ bie§ eiue §u 
tabeln, baj er §u Ieibeii[(^aftlo§ ift; ba^ i:^m ber iuai^re Snt^u* 
fiaSmug fe^lt ; ba§ fciu ^ic^tergenie jtuar I^ette leuc^tet, aber 
mc^t evJudrmt. @r erf(^eiut iiberatt afg glei(^gultigev, fc^arffic()ti* 
get 33eol6a(^ter, ber mit bem :^ioetif(^eu Stoff aikx ^ibenijotfer 
toiK^ert, aljer oou ben @emut!^0£>eii?eguiigen, beneu cr .^one uub 
5lu§bru(f gieljt, felbft feiue em^jfinbet, mib an ben 5(uftvitten mib 
Jgaublmigen, bie er fc^itbert, felOft feineu 2tntl)eif uimmt; eg fei 
beuu, ba^ eS fi(^ i?ou fiuntii^eii, uu^iic^tigeu uub uufeufc^eu @e* 
geuftdubeu ^aubelt; beuu iu ber 5(uf(l)auuug imb 33e^aubluug 
folc^er f(^eiut er fic^ tjorjiiglic^ ju gefaKeu, ja re(^t eigeutlic^ ^u 
fc^tuelgeu. SJJit foli^eu bebieut er uu§ bei jebcr @elegeuf)eit; 
uub bietet fic^ bie SSerauIaffuug ba^u uid;t ijou felbft bar, fo toei^ 
er fie fc^ou I)eri)or5urufeu, bamit er feiuem liifterueu ©emiit!^ ei* 
neu (Sc^mauS bereite. 

^iur fel^r uugeru bebieueu irir un§ folc^er bittereu SBorte 
gcgeu eiueu ^i^ter, ber mit feiueu felteueu ®abm ber grojte 
2Co^It()dter feiuer ^dt ^aik feiu fOuueu. 5(ber eg ift fc^on 
auggefvroc^eu hjorbeu, ba§ Ujir uug feiuegtregg eiubitbeu, ber 
©iujige ju feiu, ber fi^ dn uugiiuftigeg Urt:^eil iiber ®ot^c'^ 



16 

aSirffamfeit exlaiiU ^at Unter ben ijtelen Otccenfenten, irelc^c 
bie bemoraliftrenbe ^eubcnj femer ©^riften eiuet jiir^tlofen 
dtuQC iintertrorfen ))ahmr ^xi)xi iuot)! SBoIfgang SDJeujel, auf 
beffen gebtegeueS SBerf iiBer bie beutf^e ^iteratiir totr ^ier toer* 
ttjeifen, mit fii^uer .!panb bie ^erOfte ^ebet. 

5tnber§ti30 moc^ten iuir e§ irof)! fiir ^toecfrndjig era^ten, au§== 

fiit)rli^ nac^^utoeifen, ba§ totr ©ot^e ni^t u:6ereilter= uub imge* 

te(|tertDeife eiuer uberhjiegenbeu SSorlielje fiir bag :?u[tetue, Un* 

jii^tige uub DbfciJne gejie^en ^ahm. 5l6er uufere Bw^orer ^a^^ 

Ben uic^t nbi^Q ^u fcefurc^teu, ba§ tuir i^r ftttlt(|e§ @efii^l burc^ 

eiuc iu§ 3!)etail ge^eube, ^erglieberube 5(u§eiuauberfe|img be§ @e= 

tabelten §u Beleibigeu gefonueu [tub. SKir Begniigen im§ mit att= 

gemeiueu ^iubeutungen. @0tl)eg ^ieber, e))if(^e @ebi(^te unb 

aSaKaben, h^ie tm ^ur(^f(^nttt feiue fleiueren @ebi(^te, (tub i)er* 

gleii^unggmd^ig i?on ben SSerftoJeu gegeu bie ©itttic^f eit frei, bie 

im§ Bei ber ^efuug feiuer (Sc^tifteu oft fo immtge»el)m iiberra* 

fc^en unb anefetn, hjietDO^I axi^ I)ier an fol^en fein SDJangel ifi 

5tm me^^tften a^er Ijric^t bie l^uftern^eit feiner ^i)antafie, nnb ber 

©iinbenityuft feineS ^erj^enS, in feinen Oiomanen, feinen btamati* 

fc^en (Stiicfen, lutb fellbft in feinen 9?eifeljef^reibungen ^cx'oox. 

(5o fe^t au(^ biefe ^robucte jeber artiftifc^en ^orbenmg ©eniige 

leiften mogen, fo fe^^r fie fi(^ but(| bie @(^dul)eit i^rcr (Bpxa^t 

an^d^nm, fo UcUn fie bo(^ enttoeber an f)dufigen (SteUen grofic 

aSerfto^e gegen ben 5(nftanb unb bie (Sittli(^leit bar, ober gan^c 

2Ber!e treten, in i^rer 5tnlage imb 5lu§fii^rung, gegen atte ge== 

fuuDe ^oxal ^o:^nf^re(^enb in bie (S(|ran!en, unb ftam^fen mit 

gii^en atte jene liebenStoiirbigen 3^ugenben, jene :^eiligen ^fHic^* 

ten, beren ftrenge SBeac^tung imb getoiffen^afte 5lugubung, im 

gan^en Sefcen, in atten Buftdnben unb aSeri)dltniffen beg SOJenfc^en 

\)on ber duf erften a^efent[i(^feit ifi, ioenn baffelBe nur blog 

menf(^Ii(^, gefi^tueige benn anmutl)ig, ftttli(^ rein, ebel imb ei* 

neg e^riften hjurbig fein fott, unb bur^ beren attgemeine imb 

ijollige ^intanfe^img bag ^amilieu= unb @efetlf(^aftgleben nic^t 

nur einer gdn^lic^en Berriittung anl)eimfat(eit, fonbern fi(^ ge* 

rabeju auflofen mii^te. — (Sg ^at ung feine getinge ?^reube ge* 

hjd^rt, bie unertoartete (Sntberfung ju mac^en, baj 9)knjel, in 



17 

fehter treffeuben Gitti! u:6er ®btf)c, gerabc u:6er btcfen ^uu!t 
bie ndmlt(^e 5(iificf;t, unb oft faft mit benfelljeu SGorteu aug* 
ft)rt(^t bie h?ir i^or Dieleu 3^1)^011 f^oii im 3)nicf evf^eiucn 
lie^eii. — Urn mm bie 9fiid^tigfeit miferg Urtl)cil3 bur^ ein 
fo acfctmig§ircrtl)e3 3fitgnif an§ bem SSaterlanbe 511 !6e!rafti= 
gen, irerbeu it)ir foglcic^ ciuigc (Btdim aug 9}?cu5c[g SBer! 
mitt^eifcu. — SBir :6cmcr!eu mir no^, ba^ uuS ber ^^nuft, tvcU 
^c^ 2Berf allgemein fiir @dtI)eS gro^tcg cvfamit Juivb, eiue 
fc^im^ffic^e (Sauouifatiou bc§ @euiu§ ber ©ottlofigfcit, i^xmiU 
telft ber ^immelfal)rt beS grauen (SiuiberS, 511 feiit f(^eiut. 
5Die 5(nHage, bie iuir oft gegeu @ot!^e 511 urgireu mt§ gebrim= 
gen fiii^Iten, Iduft iiic^t alleiu ba^inau§, baf feine Wloval f eiue 
@rmibfd|e ^at, mit^iu eiue midc^te ifi] ba§ ein ruc^fofer @eifl 
freezer (Sitteulofigfett imb (^iuaugtofer 2B olh'iftigf eit in feiueu 
(Sc^rifteu feiu triifteS SBefeu treibt; fouberu ba^ ber 5)ic^ter, 
iteit baijon emfernt, fol(^e tafter^afte (Srfc^eimmgen mit gebiil^* 
reubem UiilDiffeu mib 5(bfc^eu 511 ljet)aubefu, in ber 2)arftet== 
Imig berfelbeu ben ^5(^fteu @rab be§ ©emiffeS finbet, unb 
ba§ er jeberjeit bemiil)t i]i, feiueu fc^te^teu imb toerirorfeueu 
^erfo ulic^feiteu atte beu jauberifc^eu (S(^mucf ber reijeubften 
5lumut!^ §u ^erleil^eu, iuomit ber 3)i(^ter uur bag tua^r^aft 
©(^oue uub 95ortrep(^e befteibeu fottte. (Sr f(^etut au fei^ 
neu lafiert)afteu imb lieberlic^eu 6^ ar after en eiu befoubereS 
2Go^[gefatteu gel)a:6t ju f)abc\i. — 3)a§ eiue fofc^e ^DarfteHuugg^' 
toeifc fotc^er ^erfouti^feiteu eiufac^ ba§ Oiefuttat S)on @ot^e§ 
cigeuem (5t)ara!ter iuar, ba§ irerbeu alk, bie um bie aufto^i* 
gen 95er!)dltuiffe feiueS eigeueu ;^ebeu§toaubeI§ toiffeu, ui(^t leug* 
neu fouueu; imb beS^alb fpric^t fi^ auc^ ^m^d gauj im* 
umtuuubeu iiber biefeu ^uuft aug. 2Gir tl)eileu uuumet^r ^oU 
geubeg au3 SWeu^elS beutf^er Siteratiir mit. — ,,3)a3 ^aleut ifl 
„au fi(^ imitoerfetf, imb mu§ ft(^ aU fol(^eS iu ber gro^teu SSiel:* 
„feitig!eit ber 5tutoeubuug er^robeu. ^§ gibt uic^ta in ber 
„aQ3elt, bem uic^t baS ^^aleut eiueu :poetif(^eu 5luftri(^ geben 
„!6uute. iffiic jeuer ^ouMuftler mit a?e(^t hd)an)(>UUr eg liege 
„ft(^ atleS iu 9)Jufi! fe^eu, felbft ein ^^or^ettel, fo fauu eiu ta^ 
„ieuti)ofler ^i^kx mit ber ©^rac^e ni^t meuiger SBuuber t^im. 
2 



18 

„^a^er mar an^ ®bff)c fo ijtelfeittg. dx foimU alU§, an^ 
„t)a§ ©eringfte imb @enieiufte buvt^ ben BauBer feiuer 3)atftel* 
„Iung rel^eub madden. 

,,^ier obex fto^eu toix auf bie erfte grojc SSerfimbigung ber 
,,@ot:^ef(^eu ^oefie. 3)te Jvuuft nuij? etuer geldiitevteu 9?eltgion 
„gtetd;en, toelc^e mir ba§ mtrftid) ©i1)at)ne, (Eble, 9fJeine, bag 
„toal)il)aft @ottIt(^e i^ergiitleit, lui^t eiiiem Iamicnl)aftett 
„^ettfc^i§mu8, ber auc^ bag ^[em(i(^e, ©emehte, (2d)miiljigc, 
„!uv5 atle§ §um S5el)t!el ber ^(iitetmig, ^u emem @o^en ma(^t. 
„5){e ^orm muj niit bcm 3u^)att ^ro^jortionirt imb toeilt)anbt 
„feiu. S^tur ber fomif(i;eu ^oefte tft e§ ijergomit, nub uur nm be6 
„!om{f(^eu (?ffeft§ tDtlleu, bfi§ ^r^aljeue §ii trai)eftireu nub ba0 
„@emetue in groteSfer ^rl)abent)ett 511 jetd;iieu. — 5Dur(^au§ 
„nuftattl)aft bagegen tft jebe tin (Snift gemetute feitttmeutale 
„33efc^ouiguug be§ ©etriemeu biird; etue rul)reube ^titfleibiiitg. 
„@otl)e afcer Icar ber erfte, ber uu8 n)e{(^li^e, e^rlofe (S^a= 
„raftere aU mtereffaut, Itel>eii§tourbig, ja Ido^I gar erl)a]6en 
„f(J)i[berte, ber fur beii eitetit S[Bertl)er, ben feigeii, ntd)tgn3iir= 
„bigeu (5fat)igo, ben toeibif^ fofetteu ^t[t)etiTt 9}?etfter, ben feit= 
,,thneittalen 3)ou 3iiau=^auft k. etue 3'f)ei[ual)ttte ertcecfte, aU 
„oB bte§ toirHtd; ^"i^i^ak etuer mauuli(^en (Beele U)dreu. ^rfl 
„feit biefein SSorgaug iDtrumelt eS in ber ^Deutfc^en ^oefie soon 
„(£^U.Hi(^[iugeu uitb S35fel»t(^teru, bie fiir ^elbeu gelten. — 

,,'^n biefe l}D(^ft iiit:pDetif(^e 3)tffereuj jtoifc^eu ber ^efd;6* 
„itigeubeii ^orm nub bem uufcJ^oueu Si^^^tt get)i3rt an^ bie 
„t)on @otf)e auSgegaugeue SJiauier, ba§ 5U(tdgIt(^e, @emeiue 
„uitb ^leiue, ober ba§ aBfoIut ^rocf ue, ^rofaif(^e nub SaitglBei* 
Jige biir(^ etue affeftirte ^Ni(^ttgt:^uerei al§ etUjaS SSebeutfa^ 
„me§, ben @iuu ^effehtbe§ I^iujiiftetten. 3<^ i^itt uur an bie 
„^oi[ette beg 3i)?auueS "oon 40 3a{)reu eriuueru. @5tl)e tieBtc 
„e§, ba§ ^ii:6Iifiim burd; bergtei(|eu §u ru^ftiftctreu, nub eS 
„glei(^fant auf bie ^robe §u ftelleu, h)ie i)iel e§ bertrageu fiJuue, 
„D!f)ue §u mitrreu. 

„®dt)reitb eS immer uur bie fc^due ^tatiir i% bereu SRa(^=* 
„a^muug xiu§ am erufteu 5Dii^ter gefdtit, uitb bie ^d^lic^e 
„auSf(^Iie5Ii(^ nur ©egeuftaub ber !omif(^eu uub l)UTUorifti* 



19 

„f(^cn 5pDcfic fclu barf, \nd)k @i)t"^e fetncu gaujcii dlixi)m baviii, bic 
„'^a|}nd;e 9iatuv buvcf) [chic 3)aiftcnung in allcm (Snift n(§ cine 
„f(^dnc gcltciib juma^cii; nub unr bi'ufcu imr bag ^cvf, ba^ 
„^alf liter @i)il)c8 i^cbcii gefi^ricbcii l)at, obcr iiur bie 5al)iiicu 
„3imim iiub 5(:pl)ort§nicii @i3tt)cS luib gciinffc (StcHcu in fei* 
„uciii Baiift Icfcn, iim uiiS jii iibcr^cugcn, incfc^cn biabolifc^eu 
,f^^a^ iijm ba§ ^^ublifiim macule, i»ciin eS fic^ fo Icii^t tdu== 
„fcbcn lic^, inib in ftainicnbc ^cUnmbcinng luib 5(ut)ciung yer* 
„faiif, hjo @ctl)e l)cmiltc^ bie S^mc^c l)crcm§firccftc, bcr 1)d(^= 
„anfel)nn^cn SSerfammliing cine ^xa^^c \d)mtt, mib iuic 3)?c* 
,4"»l)ifto:pI)ele§ cine imanftdubige ©clu'ibe ma^tc. 

„S((ic^tS ^araftcrifirt ii)n ieffcr, alS ba§ @cbid;t, hjoinit bcr 
„9)?iifcnalmanad) ^on 1833 erojfnct n.nubc, nnb luorin cr fcincu 
„biimmcn S3crgi3ttcvern iiiii^ci1}o[cn [agt: *****-j-). 5DaS bniftc 
„@ott)e bcm bciitf(|cn 95olf bielen!" ifi^ir jicl)cn niir nod) fol* 
genbe (Stcllc anS 9)?cn,5cl§ 3Bcrf an. — „'Bd)on '"^^iaio ta^ 
„bclt mit ftrcngcni @riift bie ©ntirci^nng bcr 3)id)tfnnft bnrc^ 
„bic 6*ntl)ii((ung iinnatur[i(^^cr ©eliiftc. (?r Irirft c^ bcni ^o* 
„fiob unb ^onicr sor, ba^ fie fo ijiclc ol>fcone nnb natnitci^ 
„brige ^inge i>on ben @i3ttcrn crjdl)Icn. — (Sr fagt mit i>o((cm 
„dicd)t: ,h3enn fic^ bcrg{ci(f)cn au^ in bcr Sftatiir yovfdnbc, fo 
„niu^ man ftc boc^ unmiuibigen nnb jnngen ^l^cntcn md)t yor* 
^erjd^Icn, fonbern nicl)r alS irgcnb etlt>aS i^erfc^mctgcn. — 
ff'BolUc bo(^ irgcnb cine 5RDtl)n)cnbigfeit cintrcten, ba^on ^ii re* 
„bcn, fo mii^tcn btcfc ^inge \\id)t anber§ benn ai^ 9}ii;fterieu 
„gei)i3rt iDcrben, ^on fo hjcnigcn al§ moglic^, \mid)c ba,^n DorI)er 
;,nid^t ciii f(^(cd)teS 8ci^h)cinfcrfcl, fonbern cin gclDiffcS gro^eg 
„iuib foftbareS £)))fcr gc:6rac^t i)abm niii^tcn, bamtt fo hjcnigc 
„alS moglii^ "oon fold^en ©ac^cn §n I)orcn @e[egciit)ett l)dttcn. 
„(S§ ift h3al)r, ba§' fid) jenc gel)eimni§iioItc ^al)bcrn)anbt* 
„fc^aft, bag ^^rin^i^ be§ (St)cbrn(^S, e§ ift \va\)x, ba§ fid) @e* 
„in\kf bcrgleic^cn in bcr <BuUa gefc^ilbcrt finb, wixUid) in bcr 
„2IJatnr ^orfinbcn, aBcr alo 5tnSit)n(^fc, unb lr>tr foKcn un3 
filter bie ^atnx biefer 3)inge nic^t burc^ cine einncl)menbc 

t) 2)ief« StcIIe etfc^etnt tu ber ^nglifcficn UftKrfcfeung ganj umflcfinltet : mit ®bti)ti 
etgenfieit SBovtcn butfeit wit biefe (Seiteti gar ni^t tefubeln. 



20 

„^octif(^e S5efc^5nigung, biirc^ cine S5etiDe(| Stung bevfelfcen mit 
„ben ^eingfteu @efu^len teiuer SieBe tdiif^eu laffeu, benn, )i^it 
,,^lato luetter fortfd^rt: 9?iemaub toill in feiuem I)errli(^ften 
f,^^eik imb ixbtx bie l^o(^ften ^inge gem eiuer ^iige Ofaum 
„geBen/ 

^S'^oi^ miiffen tr>ir jener ©raufamfett gebenfcu, iretc^e mit 
„§um femeu @enii§ ge^6rt @Dti)e [(filbert mit SSorlietje bie 
„meuf(^Ii(^en (B^M^m imb SSonirt^eilc, imb iDetbet fi^ an 
„ben .barau§ entf^ringenbeu ^eibeu, fo toie im SBett^er, (Sla* 
,,'oiQO, 3^affo, bcr natiirlii^en .^^oc^tev, ben 2Ga^Ii>ertDanbtf(^af:* 
„ten 2C. 2)ie graufame SBoffuft liegt barin, ba^ ber 2)i(^tet 
„ft(^ an ben 9Serf(^uIbungen unb !Beiben erg5^t d^"^ fi^ ^"^^ 
„irgenb ettrag §u ijerfd^^nen. — Dft erfc^eint biefe ©ranfam* 
Jdt ah\i^tli^, oft nur nnttjillfiirtii^ aU ^olge bet @Iei(^gut* 
„tigfeit, mit ti^elc^er ber ^ic^ter bie 2BeIt iifeetfa^. 3)ie Oiu^c 
„unb ^lar^^eit, mit meti^er @otl)e feine ©d^ilberimgen entiritft, 
„erf(^eint oft aU ijotlige ^nbifferenj, ni^t al§ bie gottlii^c 
fr^iii)c, bie au§ ber ^iitte ber 3bee entf^ringt (5ie toirft alfo 
„an^ nur mie ba§ tobte 5fJaturgefe|, nid^t trie bie innere 
„S3efriebigung ber ©eele. 3)a^er !£>ei @ot^e fo t)iele SO?i^tone, 
„bie ni(^t aufgeBft finb." 

(S§ f'onnte l^ier noc^ manege treffenbc (Steffe au§ SDZenjelS 
2Ber! angejogen tuerben, a:6er bamit toir bie 3eit unferer Bu'^'J* 
rer ni(|t attjufe^r in 5(nf^ru(^ ne^men, eilen tuir mit biefem 
3^^eil imferer ^Ib^^anblung jum (S(|lu^. Ue^&er @5tf)e§ eigeue^ 
^et>en, beffen (S(|dnbli(^!eit fi(^ geniigenb crmeifen Id§t, mi^aU 
ten it>ir un§ atter tueiteren (Srorterung. f) — 3(u(^ ijertreilen mir 
nic^t Idnger M ben anfto^igen 3«g^« f^i^i^^ (5f)arafter§, tuie 
fie in feinen 8(^riften, fceibeS in negatitoer unb in ^ofitiijer 
©eftalt, an§ ^i^t treten: imb gebenfen be§^alb nur Beitduftg 
feiner ^erjtofigfeit, feiner gretfen @ell)ftfu(^t unb (Sitelfeit, fei* 
ner ©efbfter:f)6^img unb (BetbftauBetung, feiner ariftofratifd^en 
^(rroganj imb UnV)erf(^dmt]f)eit, feiner fd^ma^tenben Ue:|3^ig!eit 

t) SBir entinern Iiier nur beilaitftg «n eiiit gewiffe 3J?abflme 35. — 9Iiibertt)citige (Sc^flnb= 
9cfd)ic^ten, wie fie neA) jcbcr 3fncnfcr vom ©nbe bcS lefetcn unb bem '^Infang beJ 
laufeubcn 3a^j:^unbevt8 im ©ebii^tni^ ^abeti wirb, W^^^ »ii' «n8 wo^t nii()er }« 'te* 
riibveu. 



21 

2)iefcni :6ittcru"5rabel aba miterliegt cr, bag iljm aller toa^xc 
^atriott^niuS fel)ltc, uub bcmjufolge bef)ai4>tete cr eiu fvoftigeg 
(StiUfd^iDcigeu, in eiucr ^dt, too ber gadifd^e Ufur^ator imb 
3)cgpot fetit SSoIf hi ben ^Btanh ixai, too baS ganje gro^e 
,§crj 3)eiitfd;Ianb§ i)ou ycvte|3tem ©to(,^ luib ycvl)ot)Uter 5Ra= 
tionalitdt, Don t)ittcrm 3"9vtmm imb gliil}cuber @ef)nfuc^t uac^ 
bcr geraut»tcn ^rei^eit fc^iuoH imb am33crfteu toar; too bag 
gaii^e ^aub i^ou ben fui)neu 5Borteu ber Gblcn imb 3^a:pfcni, 
»ou bein Stan^^fcu imb 2)oimev ^a^Uofcr ^ricg§[(l;aaveii, imb 
ben ^erjevgretfeiibcu ^iebeni ^atriotifd^cr 5Dt(^ter cvfc^oU. — ^\u 
mittm bcr ^ouinilftoucii, bic 3)eutf(^taub i)oin 0?^ciii Oi§ an bie 
SS5eid;fet crfd;i"ittcrten, tourbe 5Dcutfc^(aub§ gvo^teu 3)id)ter3 
(Stiuinic ui(^t ijcniommcn. — Sic Iic§ fid) baim crft, imb jtoar 
hi cibarmlid)cn ^a)?^^aUcii, I)ovcu, atS fid) ba§ ^Better gclcgt 
i)aik. t) r^dttc @i3t{)c n.nrfli(^ crfaimt imb iimigft cni^^fimbcii, 
iric ci1)atcn imb toic^tig bic (Scubimg, bcv 33cnif bc§ 3)i^tcr§ 
fei, toic l)ci)x imb ^errtic^ Iciic^tciib toiiibc cr baiiii am litcrari* 
fc^cii ©tcriieii^immcl fid; imtcr aiibcru ^laiicten miiibcrer @r6gc 
imb ^Pra^t umbic ©omic bcr ^^at)x^dt imb 2Gci§I)eh brcl)cir, 
ftatt bcffcii afccr, h)ic fiiiftcr imb imgimftig Hi fciu %\pdt, trie ge* 
fe^IoS fciiic S3a^ii, toie malijiog imb iml)cilljringeiib fciu @iiif(ii§. 
— @crne tocubcii toir imS "oon bcr ^etrac^timg bcffctbcu tocg, 
urn je|t iio^ ciiieSBcilc imfcruS3Iicf aiif ciii ©cftirii »ou imgtei^ 
teiiicrcm imb l)cffcrcm ^i^t §u ric^tciu 

©c^ider toiirbe ni^t, toie eg @ot^e in fccbcutenbcm SOJaJe 
toarb, burc^ dujerc Umftdnbc m:b 3Scrf)dItniffc gcbiibet, fonbern 
feiu @cift enttoidelte fic^ §u ber @ro^c, imb erfdm^fte fi»^ bie tm* 
))onireiibe .§ot)e, bie er errei^te, tro| bcr briidcnbftcn Umftdnbc, 
uub ber ungimftigftcn ^hitoirfungcn toon auf en. — (Sr toar wi^t, 

t) 3Bte fe'^r ©Ptfie fciefcm 95lorn}urf iintfrliecjf, barniif tvarb bcS 3Serfaffer3 SJufmerffams 
fcit fdipii yor siclcii 3al)rcn biird) ctiifit bciitfd)fii ®flet)rtcu flcric{)tct; iinb tfl perfclbf eiit 
.. fo oiiffalloiibcr, bafj ev ft* g<ir iiictt uicglciigitfit laflt. 5)e9hfllb buvfte per llinftanb, ba§ 

"^j*V ajieiijel, beffcn SBtvE nut cvft \ano,i hami) jii ®efid)t kfaiiieii ' Mu w , biefeit i«pnvuvf 
part uviiiit, 11118 iiicftt vcr^iiibcrn, bciifclbcit t)'"" iiochmaU geltciib jii nin^cn. — 93iclc bee 
nfitcrcit Tifbter 2'cutfd)(aiib§ fitfiiteit tii btcfer QScjiebimg v^oii flmij nnbevcm SctjiPt uiib 
Jtorii 511 fe\)n, uub au bcu SScbriicfuugcu beS SScitfrla«b« ben Ifbeubiijflcn uub tfiiitigileit 
Sluthcil ju ucbincn. Sjiefe t)abcu has 2hv\^t gctbon. Sie (lateu tin %tim- gcfitiirt, <iua 
fccffeu Icbcvutcu glammcn ein befferes I)ei-?oriuvufeit wicbcvum il)vc ^eiliofie 5Iufijabe feitt 
fcUle. 



22 

tote oft @otI)e, em ^a(^ai)mcx ] foubern er etoBerte ft(^ ein etge= 
ne§ ®chm, euttoicfelte iiiit felBftftdnbtgem ©trebeu bie @aben 
imb ^rdfte, bte tf)m t>erlte{)en mareiv nub feiue etgeutl)untlt(^c 
:^oettfd)e ^vfd;etiumg ^eugt i^on ctgeiifteit artiftif(^en @nmbfd|en 
unb SSortrejf lt(|!eiten ; ja fetit cvfteg j[ugeublt(^e§ ^liiftveteu "oox 
bem ^iibltfum toar ein eniftcS, obex fret[i(^ uberetlteS imb mi§* 
Iimgcne§ 5(ufdm:pfen gegen beniialtge 9f?ic^timgen be§ 3fitgeifte0. 
S3ettad)ten toir ben gaujen ©driller, toie er fi(^ m\§> in feiuem 
;?ekn nub [emeu (5d;vtfteu bailnetet, fo erbltcfen totrtii ii)m etiie 
ber cbe[ften mib l)errltd)ftcu (Sifi^etuungen in bet litetavi[cl;en 
2Belt. 3l)^t fami man Mm ©itubeu, tote @ot^e§ toareu, jur 
^aft legett. Seft^etben, faiiftiniitl^tg, i)DU aUa ^(uma^img fret, 
triig er fic^ ittrgeubS mit l)od;miil!)iger ©eberbe, forberte er be= 
miitt^igc (S()rerbtetigieit i^oii fetuem, mib fii(^te ni^t ftc^ eiiier un== 
8et>iil)reubeu 5XtIeml)errf(^aft iiBer bte ©ele^rteiire^piiBItf §u l?e= 
Tndcl;ligen. 9Sou eiiter gliii^eitbeu ^leBe fiir baS SQ3aI)re unb 
@ute, unb ctiter eblen 3}?enf(^eitltebe befeett, toar e§ i^m jeberjeit, 
tntt alleiu toa6 er "ooxnaf^m, grunblic^ ^.rnft, unb mit bem 5(ugc 
un*oertoanbt auf fctnen ^ubjtoecf ge^eftet, ftreBte er bem (Ebleu 
unb ^sat}ren nac^. ^et4)tfiun unb ^ritiolttdt toareu tl)m fremb, 
(§r l)atte i?or ft(^ fetbft eine ju reine 5(^tung, bie ^ugenb toar 
t!^m ju I)eilig, ^u ttef erfannte er bte erttfte 23ebeut[am!eit be§ 
menffl)[ic[)en ^eBenS unb menfc(;Ii(^er SSerl^dltniffe, unb er fc^d^te 
^u !)o(^ ben 3Bertf) feineS etgenen ^ef>enS, a(§ ba^ er I}dtte ^dt 
utib ^^rdfte in Iaunent)aften ^dnbeleien, ober gemeinen unb toibrt* 
gen ^risolitdten ijergeuben fonnen. — ^it g(iil)enbem @tfer unb 
rafttofem ^let§ ftreBte er fi*^ ber @runbfd|e feiner eblen ^unft ju 
bemeiftern ] mib mit nimmer ftrauc^elnber ^f)dtigfeit toar er, in 
unijerge§[id;en 2Bcr!eit, 6emiif}t, bie I)od;fte 9Sori!ommenI)eit in 
ber^lntoenbungberfelbenju erringen. — ^a'^r tft eg atterbingg, 
baj^V aU Mnftler, (Sd)iHer @dt;^en na^ftef)t. 8ein @eift gebot 
iitjer fein fo unerme^[i^eg ®cWt toie btefer, unb e§ fel)lte it)m 
@otI)e§ ljel)enbe ^ertigfett in ber 5(nlage unb ^Se'^attblimg bc§ 
©toffeS. 8eine ^rofa ^at nid)t ben Ieid;ten ?^fu^', unb ba§ jau* 
berifd;e, melobtfd^e 3)al)tnriefe[n, toorin @ot{)e imiiljertroffen ba^^ 
fte^t; feiue ©^rac^e ift Siicildc^ ju burd;gdngig ma|eftdtifd; unb 



23 

)3runfi-*otr ; bcmio(^ aljcr cotveftcr aU ®bfi)c§, nub burct)auS ben 
tDtc^tigcii djcgeuftdubciv bic cr Del^aubclt, augcntcffen, ijoii tebeu* 
biger ^xaft burd^bnniqeu, ibtoinattf(| fenil)aft, mit gro^eii @e* 
banfcn, trcffeubcn SSergtcic^niugen uub g(iicf[t(^cn 9)cetiUil)eni 
gefd)lttaiu3cvt. 3(kr immcr lag fciu ^id Ijbijcx IjinaiiQ, aU t)(o§ 
^uuft^D(rfonniicul)ctt 511 cxxci^m, ober litcravifcf^m 9fJut)in ju 
erfan4>fcu. iffia()vl)eitcu ii3Dnte cr ijcrfimbigcn, uub uiittDtrfcn 
an bcr SScvbcffcruug uub SScrcbluug bcr 9[)?cufd;l)cit. (Sciu 
(Stvebcu gtug bal)iuau^, baS (3(^i3uc, €§ [ct uuu in bcv S^Ja* 
tur, obcr in uicufd)ftd)cu 2?crl)d[tuiffcu uub 3iiftv'i"bcu, mit 
iicueu OJet^cu ju fc()Uu'icfcu ; 93ctou:ibevuug ju evliu'cf cu fiir bag 
(Starfe uub (Sil)al)cue ; bic ^rjcugutffe bcv mdd)ttgftcu ^J^eiguu* 
geu uub ^eibcu[(^af(cu, bic tut SOZcufcl)cut)cvjcu lualtcu, barju= 
ftcHcu ] 9)?duucv uub ^raucu, bic \naQ (SvuftcS itJoKcu, ju ^d)iU 
bcru; frafti^oKc 61)araftcvc aufjufiil^rcu ; (5f)araftcrc, iu h3cl== 
(^eu bic iut»ol)ucubc ^ucrgic bcS mcufd)[i(^cu 233i((cu3 uub bcr 
mcufd;Iic^cu ^cibcufd)aft, [auftcr uub liebcuSiDi'ivbigcv 9lciguu:= 
gcu, uub ftuftcrcr, nu^Iofcr Tricbc, fvoI)cr uub uufctigcr 5(f* 
fcftc, uiit cigcutl)iim(i(^icr iH^irffamfcit tl}dtig iu§ ^cl^cu I)cr* 
auStritt. — 9Soruct)mli(f) abcv gcfiel fi^ ©chiller iu bcr ^ar* 
ftcduug tDaT)rcr, uucigcuuii^igcr ^rcuubfc^aft, bcr rciuftcu, fic^ 
fclbft aufo^fcrubcu !^tcbc, bcr aufiic^tigftcu Sl}?cufc(;cu=, bcr ghV 
l)cubftcu QSatcrlaubSlicbc, uub ciucr uinimcr icaufcubcu, uut)c= 
ftcc[;[i4icu ^'rcuc gcgcu bic dicdjk, bic ^rci^cit, uub bic atU 
gcmciue 5Gol)(fal)rt bc^ 3!}?cufc^cugcfc^tc(i;tS. (Sciuc 5(ljftc(;t ift, 
§u rut)rcu, ticf uub geU3attig, imuicr aljcr bur(^ rctue uub \mx^ 
bigc 0}?otiDc. — (Sr uunut c8 ftctS cruft()aft, uub barum ijcr* 
laugt cr auc^, ba§ \mx mit cruftcui @iuu fciuc 2l^ortc t)cr* 
ncl)mcu foKcu. 9?ic ijcrlicrt cr bcu gro^cu ^W^ anS bcu 
2tugcu, iu mig ju criuccfcu uub §u udt)rcu bic 93elDuubcruug 
bc§ (B^bnm, bcS ^iirbigcu uub bc§ 9SortrcffIic(;cu, bic SScr^* 
afcfc^cuuug bc§ ©cuiciucu, 9ticbcrtrd^tigcu uub ^aftcrl)aftcu, 
bic fciuc ©ccte crfiiKt. (S3 fommt it)ut uicmalS and) uur ci* 
ucu 2(ugcut)[icf iu bcu ©iuu, bcm 5(iicbrigcu, bcm UuiDiirbtgcu 
uub Sct}[ccl)tcu ba8 2Bort ju fu{)rcu. 9(icuiat3 Bcftrcbt cr \id), 
uu§ 5ur S3cJx)uubcruug gcmciucr uub fd;Iccl;tcr 61;ara?tcre ju 



24 

ijerlettcn; nietiialS iDiirbigt er feme ^i^kxQobcn ba§u ^eratj, 
fcl(|eu (S^arafteren etue nm^k S^bixi)cit ^u tievtei^eu; ober 
mit ^uuftgviffeu uub ©aufelfpiel tf)re UuMfoeu §u bemdiiteluj 
— obex er Id^t im§ au(^ niemalS etue mibere 5Bal)I, al§ fei^ 
neii retneu, liel^euglDurbigeu, ebleu uub re(^tf(^ajfeueu 6^ara!* 
teveu uufere 5l(^tuug uub tuuigfte 5;.^etlual)me ^u f(^eu!eu. — 
2)ie gtau^ijotte imb ret^eube ^iirftiuu (SBoIi eroBett uk uufere 
5ri)eilua^me uub 5l($tuug ; ber ftuftcre aBer majeftdttfd;e 2Bat* 
leuftetu gehJtuut, fo fel)r tuir au(^ fetue @ro^e Bemuuberu, boc^ 
ute luiferu a3etfa((; ber bigotte uub graufame ^l)ifi^^ ^eifc^t 
t)ou uu§ uic^tS alg 2lbf(^eu ; ?5rau§ t)ou 9)?Dor erfudt uug mit 
uuau§fVred)It(^em SBibericideu, imb feiu imgtuc!Ii(^er 33ruber 
M.axl fo fe^r U)tr iljn tmuier Beutitleibeu, fii^rt im§ boc^ ute 
iu bie SSerfu^uug, feiue 9Serbre(^eu, ^u Billtgeu : ber eble uub 
f)0(^l)erjtge 9}tarqut§ ^ofa aber, |eue§ beau-ideal eiue§ ^a* 
trtoteu uub 2)2euf(^eufreuube§ ; ber Inebere uubf)aubfefte.5'ell; 
ber l)elbeumiitl}tge Max ^tccolomiut, beffeu mduult(^e ^'ugeub 
au^ tu ber ftdrffteu SSerfu^uug utc^t uuterlag ] bie faufte uub 
ijertraueuSijoIIe, aber bD(^ befouueue uitb ebel beufeube ^f)efla, 
W i^rem uuerfc^i'ttterlic^eu ^f(i(^tgefu{)l felbft beu fu§eu .5^raum 
ii)xcx juugeu uub reiueu ^iebe §um £)pfcx briugt; bie iu i^== 
rer I)erDifc^eu 23egeifteruug Ijo^e uub l)errli(i;e ^nngf^'^u icon 
CrIeauS ; biefe ^e^tereu ftub iuSgefaittmt (Srjeuguiffe eiuer 
f(^oueu, l)0{|ebleu 3)i(^terfeele, bie luifere icdrutfte ^^eilun^me, 
uufere iiuiigfte ^odja^Um^ in 5tuf:pru^ uel^meu. — £)h ft(^ 
miu ii)re (SeeleugriJ^e im Uugtucf, ober iu beu gimftigfteu SSer= 
l^dituiffeu ben?dl)rt, iiberall fiub fie treue uub gebiegeue ^ar== 
ftetluugeu eiuer dc^teu uub erl)abeueu ^eufc^euuatur, uub ^ei* 
f(|eu beS^atb toou uu8 oik bie 5^l)eilua^me uub ^oi^ac^tuug, 
bie atleui reiu meuf(^iic^ (3c|i3ueu uub ©bleu gebii!)rt. 

Man Wolk obex ni(^t i^ergeffeu, ba§ e§ uufere 5lbfi(^t !et* 
tieSmegS ifi, bie 533irffam!eit be§ eiueu ober be§ auberu ber 
l^ier befprod^eueu uub fo I)o(^gefeierteu SOMuuer uubebiugt §u 
red^ifertigeu : fouberu ba§ e§ uufere ^tufgabe ift, ii)re refuel* 
tiueu ltterarif(J)eu SSerbteufte gegcu etuauber ab^iimdgeu; uub 
jtuifdjeu bem fittli(|eu ©^arafter beiber, befouberg aber bem 



25 

^influf , ben t^te @(^riftcn auf tie 3)euftueife xmb btc mora* 
Itf(^e ^ilbiuig 5tuberev ju iibm geeiguet fiub, eine SSerglcic^ung 
aii^ufteUeu. — Uub ^aini tcix im§ alfo iibex @ot^e§ tetigiofc 
SDJeimuigen unb Buftdube au§gef))ro(^en, [o biirfcu irir au^ 
in inifcrm Urtl)eil liljcr ©critter biefeu ^un!t uid)t imUxn^xt 
laffeu. — 3u biefer, lute and) in auberu 33cjte:^imgeu, ^on feU 
tiem grof eu 3eitgeuoffeu i?erf(i;leben, iDibmetc er biefcm aller* 
totc^tigften ©cgcuftaube feiue eruftef^c 5(ufntevffamfeit. (Seine 
frii^efte ^x^ici)imQ letteten fvcmme ©Item, unb nid)td fonntc 
f|3dtev^in bte l^ier en^^fangenen (Stnbriicfe i^eriuifc^cn, [o tief er 
and) 'i)cxnad) in t!^eoretif(^eu 3Yttl)um gerictf). @r i^erftet lei* 
ber fe^r frul)e in einen oben (Sce^iti^iSnuiS, unb tocrirrte \id) in 
bie Sa!lj^rintt)engdnge einer ungcniigenben 5p![)i[ofo^f)te ; unb in* 
bent er mit ©ifer feine :j3{)i[o[o^t)ifc^en ^ovfc^ungen fortfiil)rte, 
fireljte er niit atler ^Ud)t, \id) ma^r^aftige, bauerf)afte, fefic 
Ucfcerjeugungen ^u crringen; ai>cx nie erreid;te er baS cvfet)nte 
3teL ©(fitter tii^te feinen ©lauben unb feine .ipoffnung ein, 
unb Be^arrte in feinen 3h)fifelu U§> an§ ©nbe. ^a fi^ jenc 
^>:^i[Dfo))^te jur 9Ji(^terinn aller Dffenbarung aufrcirft, fo fe^te 
©(fitter fcei ber 33el^anblung biblif(^er ©egenftdnbe unb ^i)at^ 
^ad)m iid)n toorauS, ba^ bie i)ei(lge (Bd)xift md)t i>on gottti* 
c^em Urf))rung, fonbern baS (Srjeugni^ unjutoertdffiger 3)2en* 
fc^en fei. — 2Benn er gleid) biefe 9)?einung nivgenbg fceftimmt 
auSf^ric^t fo fte^t fie boc^ unt»erfennl?ar in feiner ©eele feft, 
unb bemgemd^ beurt{)etlt er bag im 2Borte @otte§ 2)iitge* 
t^eitte. ^reifid; tuie @ot:^e oft bie ©(^uttern ^ie{)tf ober m^ 
?5duft(^en lad)t, ober bie S^Jafe ritni^ft, unb bann it>ieber mit 
m^ftifc^em 2Bort!ram iihn religiofe (Smpfinbungen, ©rfal)run* 
gen luib Suftdnbe fal^abert, fo ma^t eS ber reblic^e ©fitter 
ni^t: fonbern mit botiem drnft ge!^t er an§ ilBerf, feine 2tn* 
fid)kn ju enttnicfehi; unb auf bie S3egri"mbung unb ©eleu^* 
tung biefer toeriuenbet er feinen geringen QUifmanb ijon diai^' 
fonnemcnt, jugleic^ aljer auc^ ein bebcutcnbeS SO?a§ i?on )pnxn 
imagination imb toottig ungegriinbeter 9)hit{)ma§ung. Ueber 
©egenftdnbe, beren Urfunben nirgenbS alS in ber l^eiL ©c^rift 
ju fiuben, l)at ©c^itler nur jtuei afcgef^loffeue 5l&^anblungen 



26 

gcltefert; imb iibtx bie 33eirunbentng, tt)el(^e (5arli;te btefen Bet^ 
mi^t, Unnm t»tr nidjt iim^tu 511 erftaimeu, iDeuu \nix feiuer 
anbertodrtS au§gef^ro(^eueii 5lufic^teu gebeufen. — (B^ilkx^ 
^cx^ g,ixii)k fiir bie S33a:^rl)ett, nub na(^ ber ©vfeuutut^ ber* 
felBeu rang cr mtt alien Jtrdften: imb hjag er I)ier uteber* 
[(^vtelv l^atte er Dl)ne 3rt)etfel fiir tua^r erf aunt ; aBer c§» biirfte 
hjoJ)l ni(^t Iet(|t [etn, ein inel Ijeflagen§h)ert!^ere§ 33eif^tel auf* 
gutDcifen t>on bem Oiefultat ju toelc^em ein p ^^t[ofo:pf)if^em 
^orf^en genetgter @etft, ber bie ©runbfefte beg @lauDen§ i^er* 
f(^nidf)t iinb feiue eigenen i)ermeintlid;en (Siitbecfungeu ben Df* 
fenBarungen beg unenblict;en unb a(Iit»eifen ®d\k8 ijorjte^t, ge^ 
langen mu§. — 5(u^er ben I)ter berucffi(^tigten 5(uffd|en ertU:* 
nern trir nnS nur ^'md anberer ©tiicfe, unb bieg finb @ebt(^tc, 
in n3el(^en (Schiller, i^erfte^t ft(^ auf ganj i^erfd^iebene SBeife, 
jene @eiftegrid)tung in 33ejug auf bie geoffeubarie 9JeIigion fet)r 
bcflimmt augf^ri^t. S^ue gro^te aKer ^ragen, bie bienienf(^* 
lic^e SSernuuft befd^dftigen faun, betoegte lt)eftlg, in if)reu tu= 
nerften 3^iefen, ©c^illerg @eele, aber roo1)\ erreit^te er, inmit* 
ten ber raftfofen SBogen beg ©ce^tijigmug, nic ben ?^elg beg 
@laubeug, fanb nie ben fi^ern @runb, ber ben 5(nfer ber .§off^ 
nung etolg I)d[t. — 3)ag jene (Sc^riften, ijon tt)eW;en fo eben 
bie 0?ebe geiuefen, bigl)er auf bie 3)eu!njetfe anberer einen be* 
beutenben Glnflu^ gel^abt I)abcu, ober uocb dufern li^erbeu, be* 
jtueifelu U3ir fe!)r. 

^etrac^ten tt»ir aber nun ben ^oetif^eu @euiug ©(^itferg, tote 
biefer fic^ ung in [einen reiferen xmb ijodeubetften ^eiftungen bar* 
bietet, fouuiffentoiralferbinggjugeben, ba^ toir i^m benUntfang, 
bieUnioerfalitdt,bie an @orl)e fo fe^r bctounbert toivb, abfiprecben 
muffeu. 3)at)ingegenragt(2(^i(fer liber biefenT^o(^f)inaug; unb in 
ber (5^l)dre, in toelc^er fein @eift lebte unb iuirfte, libertraf biefer 
tndt, in bur(|bringenbem(S(I;arfbli(f,ininniger5'tefe unbSBdrme 
beg ©efii^lg, in ber ^^raft beg 5lugbiu(fg, ben feiucg auina^eu* 
ben ^reuubeg. (§x hcaxhdick fein fo grof eg ^elb une ©otT^e, 
aber er braug ungleid; tiefer ein; er ful)rte ni^t, tote ^mn, dn 
tmuberfel)barcg SSautengemengfel auf; aber toag cr hank, ragt, 
toie ber ©tiapurger SJtunfter, \Gdt unb l^errlid; iibcr afle Urn* 



27 

GcBungcu :^mau^. (Sr haljnk \i^ 29cg in bie ticrBorgeuflcu 
^icfcii beg Tneufcf;n(^cu ^evjcug, vt^ ben (Bd)imx IjiiWrnq, ber 
ba§ tmicve ^efcn uub lliiiiu'fcii bc§ 9}?eiifc^cu hi bcr OJcgct oer* 
l^iilU, uub cv 6ra(l)te auS ^tcf;t I}cvyov, luaS ba§ SDicuf^cuI^er^ 
OfciueS uub @ute§ ju btctcu Ijat, urn 2(((e jur gct)ut)veubcu 
2Ccrtt)fd;a^uug uub ■i}?ad;at)uuuig aufjufovberu uub ju ernum* 
teru; uub ut4)t miubcv forbcrtc er ba§ (Sd;(cc^tc uub Rafter* 
l^aftc im 35c\'ufd;cu uub in fciucm .^rciku au beu ^aQ, urn fet* 
ueu 2(bfc^eu laut ju iH'vMublgcu, uub mit ftieugev 9}ial;i:uug 
uub crufter 31>aruuug juut ©citnffcu ju rcbeu. — Hub bicfcu (5r* 
folg gtaubcu mx fctucv fiu()cftcu uub frommcu (Fr^iel^uug bci* 
Tucffeu jubiivfeu, auS l»c[4)cr cr, a(S uuijcilriifttict;c 5(ucl)cutc, bie 
tuutgftc ^od;ad;tuug uub 1-tcbc fiiv d;vtftltd;e .Tugcub buvc^ baS 
gau^e l^ebcu utitua{)m; bcuu ol3f(^ou er fi^ fatfd^cu fvefu(ati»eu 
9i)?ctuuugeu gcfaugeu gcgcbcu l)attc,fogvuubete fid) borf; [clue 9)?o= 
rat auf bie ©vuubfa^e ber c^riftUc^eu ©itteulel^re. — Uub fo treu 
hiich er feiuer 5l6fid)t auf bie SWeufc^i^eit eiueu gefuubeu (Siufiug 
§u iibeu, ba§ er feiueu augefaugeueu.Oiouiau, „3)er@eifterfe{)er/' 
uuijolfeubct lief?, tpei( ii)u bag ^uOIifum babei nii^oerftaubeu l)atte. 
Dh iDtr uuu fieitic^ ,5ugcge6eu I)abeu, baf' ©(^ifferS @euiu3 
bie Uuii'>erfalitdt ®otl)cQ maugete, fo lijiirbeu toir i!^m boc^ fel)r 
Uurc(^t t^uu, tueuu trir feiuem ®ci{k eiueu uutergeorbueteu 
9?aug uub eiu bcfd)raufte§ ©cbict auiueifeu irotfteu. (Bd)iikx 
hjar eiu 9}?auu vou griiubltd^er uub mauuigfaltiger @elel)rfam= 
Mt uub i^ietfeitiger 33i[buug ; feiu ©ebaufe griff mdt um \id), 
uub fd}tDaug fic§ ijod) empor. Hub 'Dod) i\t ber 5lbftic| jtui* 
f^eu if)m uub @utl)e eiu fd)(agcuber. iIBai}reub @btljc iiberatt 
eiuf)eimifc^ crfc^eiut, uub mit piaftifd^er Jtuufifertigfcit atle uub 
jebc Oegeuftdube, bie it)u au^ict)en, be^aubeit, ya fid) fogar 
oft jum Oiei^giUtigeu uub Jlteiu^ic^eu ober gar §um SSerdc^t* 
lic^eu I)erablt3urbigt, jeic^uet \id) Sc^ider au§ burc^ flaren 
uub fic^ercu ©c^arffiuu, uljcra[[ ba§ (Bd^bm, 5tuuiui^ige uub 
@ble I)crauSjufiubeu, uub iu I)err[ic^eu (Seftalteu i^or uuS l)iu* 
jufteileu; bur^ eiue 9?iefcufraft fid) aiieS ©roj^artigeu, (Sbleu 
uub @clDa[tigeu ju beuteiftcru, uub beu er!)abeueu ^ub,5iiu'cfeu 
feiuc3 poetifc^eu Oeifteg forberlic^ §u mad;eu. — (So;t)e g(eid;t 



28 

bcm S3otant!cr, bcr ben mitm @tb!ret§ itmjte^^t, imb fi(^ ^^^an^ 
§en ijon jeber @attiiitg in feiueu @arteu fammelt, f(^5ue uub 
imfcebeutenbe, fru(^t:6are unb unfriK^tBare, lieBIt(^biiftcubc imb 
efelerrcgeubc, ^eilfame unb t»CTbevbIi(^e, xmb btefe fobaun, mit 
^ei»unberu§toertl)er.^uiift, in eiuer Tna9tf(|eu3u[aTnmeuftc(hing, 
bte tmmer einS bent anbern jur ^olte ^beiovbuet, auf§ Slumu* 
t^igfte §u gtu^^iteu iuei^ ; baBei aha ben forglofen !^ufit»anbter 
uugetuarnt Id^t, t:^n ^ou bent tserbert lichen 5Dnft btefer ^flanjen, 
»Dn bem tobtltcJ;en @tft jener SSdume nic^t aBma^nt — <B^iU 
kx, ba!t)ingegen, glet(^t bem ©artenfunftter, ber mit ni^t min* 
berem ©ifer ben ^flanjen* nnb S3Iutl)enre{(^t'()um be§ (Srbtei(^§ 
bur(^f^cii)et, liBerall abet biejenigen ^iatiiver^engniffe au§tt»dt)lt, 
bte ft(| bur(^ fc^Ianfen 3i3n(^§ ober im^jontrenbe @r6^e, buv(^ 
Mftige, ^etlbringenbe ©tgenfc^aften, bnrc^ anjie^enbe @^on* 
^eit unb angene^men ©evnc^ au§§ei(^nen, nnb bann feine au§== 
erlefenen ©^d^e in fetnen ))rd(^ttgen ^axf, in fetnen i)on ^ran* 
genben S^erraffen bur(|frenjten, »on riefelnben 23d(^en xmb 
fanftranfc^enben @:|}ringbnmnen bnrc^ti3nten @arten, nnb in 
fein anmutl)tgeg ^reibf)an§ ijerfe|t, 5(fleg in frennblic^er 3(nlage 
unb gemiit^Ii^er ©ni^ipimng in ein f(^on aBgerunbete§ @anjc 
orbnet unb etnet; baBei ahn nic^t t>ergi§t, ben UnBeba(^tfamen 
i)or jeber giftigen ^fian^e, "oox jeber tcbtlic^en ^xn^t §u toarnen. 
3n (Bc^itterg ^oefie finben bie leb^^afteften 5(ffe!te, bie tief= 
[ten @efui)Ie, bie er^^abenften ©nmbfdl^e, bte ebelften (Sntfi^liiffe, 
bie unerf^iitterlic^fte aBi(Ien§fraft, bie riiftigfte 5Dir!fam!eit, 
bie gebulbigfte 5(ugbaner, bte freubigfte ©eltftaufo^ferung, bie 
tu^igfte Oiefignation, tonrbtgen 5tn§brucf; fie mac^t un§ an* 
fc^auli(|, h)ie bie geiraltigften ^oti^oc, bie bag 9}2enf(^en^er§ 
l^e^errf^en, ^inauStreten ing rege ^eben, ^kx in l^eilbringen* 
ber, bort in i)eiberbli(^er ^i)dtigfeit, oft ater an^ ben (Srben* 
[o^n Iiinalbftur^en in ^^nimer unb SSevjiDeiffnng ; fie ma^t un6, 
mit einem 5Gorte, bettrant mit ber menfi^ttc^en S^atur, in it)xe\x 
er^abenften unb ^errlic^ften ^if^eimmgen, ober aber in ii)xcn 
l^drteftenunb fur^tbarften 5teu^erungen. — 3mmer aberbeftrebt 
fi(^ uufcr 2)i(|ter, ben SOienfi^en beS S3efferen gu bele^ren, bor 
bem S(|lc(^ten ju toaximx, jum SSortrepi^enau^uIeiten, unb aU 



29 

Icutl^albcn ba§ ?eBcn 511 toerfc^ouern uub p ^erebeln. Unb ber 
(Sf)arafter fciiieS @cniii§ ift ^tefe, .^raft, Mt)u{)eit, eiue toottig 
a!6gemogenc ®ki^l)dt bcr ©ctfteSfrdfte, uub jumat eiu glul)eu* 
be§, 3ebem 2Gdnue f^cubcubeg, uuauSlofc^lic^egSiigf^^ffitf^t)- 

— Uub ttjeuu uuu auc^ @otf)e tu getoiffcu abgef(i)Ioffcueu ^ix^ 
Mu liljer oik @e6uf)r gefeiert, uub i>ou eiuer gelet;rteu (Bc^ule 
^ergottcrt iDurbc, fo mar uub ift ©fitter ber ^tcbltug beS SSoI* 
feg, ber ^tebltuggbic^tcr defter Muuer uub ?5i*^ueu uuter alien 
Glaffeu, i)ou ber I)o(i)fteu jur uiebrigfteu; beun 5ltte faubeu in 
feiueu ^eiftuugeu bie @efui)Ie uub .Ipoffmutgeu, bie in jebem 
^erjeu fic^ regeu, mit ergreifeubeu uub tieffiuuigeu Shorten au8* 
gefproc^eu. 

2)ie grof eu, ebleu, ]^etrlic^eu 3^f«lf^ bie <B^ilUx^ [(^o^feri* 
f(^er ®n\t Bilbete, uub in beu tciirbigfteu ©eftalteu uu§ toorfiil)rt, 
trerbeu fortlebeu uub Iie^ei)o(Ie 5luer!euuuug fiubeu, fo lauge 
ber 9J?euf(^ uo(^ ©iuu l)at fur ba§ ©c^oue uub SSortreffIi(^e. 

— @i3t^e hjar efceu fo iueuig im (Btaube fi(^ foI(^e (S^arafterc 
ju beufeu uub barjuftetleu, rt)ie Sc^iderS ebler uub lyerrlic^er 
5Pofa, ober feiue tjegeifierte, ^eIbeumutf)ige3ol)auua, ober feiu rit* 
terli(^=t>ieberer, ^oc^^erjiger ^ax ^'iccotomiui, ober feiue reiue, 
ebelmiit^ige, big in beu ^ob getreue :5^()eHa, aU ex toermo(^te 
bie ^^aila^ ^art^euoS beg ^^i)ibia§, ober eiue i>on ffta)(>^atU 
2)?abouueu mit eigeuer ^aub ^u fc^affeu. 

^an ^at eg ber (S^iUerf^eu !l?oefie oft jum SSortuurf ge* 
mac^t ba§ fie ^u fe^r im 3)ieufte ber ^^ilofo^?:^ie fte^^e uub §u 
toiel moralifire. ^iifterue 33eh)uuberer toon @otI)eg buf)terif(^er 
9)Zufe erl)eljeu ni^t feiteu biefe ^lageu; folc^^eu ift ©c^itterg 
md(^tiger (Eiuflu§ auf bie Siteratur uub beu (S^arafter feineS 
3Sotfeg eiu 5(ergerui§; i^nm ift mit ui^tg ©eriugerem gebieut, 
aU bem uubef(^rdu!teu ^riwilegium iu hjodiiftigeu ^reubeu ju 
f(i()ti3elgeu, uac^ bem SSorbilbe i^reg @ot^e, ben, toic 3}Jeu§el 
erftdrt, ©(^legel fogar eiueu ®ott uauute; xmb "liinc illae 
lachrymae." 2Bag atjer ^mcn ^lagcu aug))regt, bag bient 

f ) 2;teffenb btfagt btefeS ®iUf)e in but 3ftlen : 

68 glii^te feine ^Batiflc rot^ unb rotter 
SSoii jencr Sujciib, bie un« nie vcrfliegt it. 



30 

mx§> sum erfreut{(|cn S3eiDetfe, ba§ (Sc^ttter beutlii^ erfamttc, )Dte 
cx^aim imb ))niiQ be§ 5Dt(^ter§ S3enif fet, nub ba^ t{)m ber 
S[>?ut^ nt^t fei)Ite, feiuer UeBerjeuguug getteu ^u feiu. 5^ie ^at 
er bur(| ^^ort ober ^^at iin'ifteu ©eliiften gefvo()iit; uljeralt 
J)iilbigte er ber Uu[(^utb nub ber tetiieu •^iigeitb f). Uub loot* 
jiigti^ ^at er babur(^ feme 5(uf^ru(^e auf bie SSetimubeumg 
mib bie 5Dniift)arfett ber 9)2ciif^i)ett gelteub gema(^t baf er mit 
ernftem (Sifer mtb mierf^rocfeuem 3}?ut:^e gegen ^'^ramiei mib 
Uugerei^ttgfett, gegen aik§ <S(^dubt{(^e mib ^afterl)afte mmBldf* 
ftgfdm^fte; ben @ere4)tfameu beS 3[^euf(^eii, ber i^m aiigeBor^ 
iteu ^reil)eit, baS SBort rebete, inib fiir ba§ 9ffe(^te, bag i»al)r!t)aft 
®ble uub 5rugeubi)afte in bie (Sc^raufeu trat 

aCir ^abm fc^ou barauf l)iugetr>te[eu, it»ie feiu ^cx^ fiir bie 
SBaI)rI)eit gtul)te, U)ie er bemilBa^reu uuermiibet ua(i;ftre!6te, mib 
iu feiuer uuauf^altfam fortf^reiteubeu 3lu§biibuug feiueS @ei* 
fte§ eiu ^errli(|e§ S^eal ju i)erU)ir!li(^eu befliffeu it)ar. Uub 
efceu biefeS raftlofe 9fiugeu toax e§, biefeS uuabldffige ^Btxcbm 
feiueS geicattigeu @eifte§ auf ber Betreteueu 33al)u imuter toor* 
todrtS 5U fc^reiteu uub ueue (Sroberuugeu ju mac^eu, lr>a§ feiueu 
frdufelubeu ^dr^er fo fcalb aufriel? uub fo frii!^ auf bie SSa^re 
ftrecfte, ba er ba§ ijorgeftecfte ^ki uo(^ lauge uit^t erreic^t 'i^atk, 
— Uub l^ou biefer ®igeutl)um{i(^feit feiueS (Sf)ara!ter§ uub 2Bir== 
!eu§ fagt @i3tf)e fe^r f(^ou: 

f/Si- weiiiJete bie 35Iiitl)c tocf)(len ©treben§, 
S)a§ Sebeit fe(b(T, an biefe§ SSttt) UeS CebeiiS." 

Uub uuu :^aBeu ir»ir ^um <Si^Iug uur uoi^ ^iu^u^ufiigeu, ba§ 
8(^ifIerS ))erfouli(^er (Sl)ara!ter "oolltommni beu (Srtcartungen 
eutf^rac^, §u iuefc^eu feiue 3)eufit>eife uub feiue (Sruubfd^e uu§ 
terec^tigteu. ©eiu ^ebeu giet)t iiberatt 3eugui§ ijou feiuem reiuen 
uub tugeubliefceubeu ^er^eu, uub iu feiuem Umgauge mit dTcnu 

t) ^cv 35erfaffer wei^ fehr wofel, ba^ in Sc|)itler§ 9^aubern fc^mu^ige iinb aiibcre 
wibrtge Singe oovfommen. <2ie wcvben aber utc^t betm Stta^en f)iiicingffd)Ievpt, fon= 
bern fiiib, iu jeitem Xvauerfpiele, gaiij am gebbrigen DvU. SBal (ibcv l)ifi- eigcntltc^ 
gcfagt wcvbeit foil, ift, ba§ in covliegenbcr SBesiehiing bie JRaiiber gar nic^t in 93etrac^t 
fomnieu. Sic ftnb ctn jugcnblic^cS, uurcife« ^JSrobuct, m\<i)(S ?liemanb ftrcngev al« 
©c^ifler felbit beuvtf)et[t l)at. ©r Itefj fic|) ntema(« in fetnem 3)tanne«altei- iibeneben, 
in« Zi)tcitn ju gefccn, menu biefe« ©(iicE auf bie 5?ut)ue gcbracfit tuurbf, uub Vfffgte ju 
fagcu, er inoge ftc^ mit ber vo^en ^oft feiuer Sugeub nic^t beu SDJageu serbcrkit. 



31 

f(^en .^eic^uetc er ftd; fletS burd) fc^tic^te, anma§img§Iofe SBiirbc, 
iietu'ueimiubtgc ©anftmutt), bcfc^eibciie ^iicvgtc, uie ftrauc^chibe 
Otcc^tfic^fert iinb freiiublid)e ^o:^Itt)dttgfctt aiiS. ©o fc^r hJir 
au(^ @(^if(er§ :^^t(D[o^t)if(^e3 3vrcgel)eu beHagcn, iiub e8 l)e* 
bauevii niogen, bafj cr iu§ imierc ^ei(tgt{)um I}oc()ftcr 3Baf)rl)eit 
nic^t etugebvuugeii, fo mujj boc^ ^cber in il)m bcu ebteu 3[)?eu* 
fc^eii, ben iikvad bev 9fie(^tf(J)affcul)ett uub ^ugeub ^utbigcuben 
^i^UXf ben getreucu uub t)aubfeftcu SSerfec^ter ber ^reil)cit uub 
aller meuf^li(f;eu dic^k uub 3utt-'veffcu Ijctouubevu uub I)0(^* 
fc^a^eu. 

3u eiuem »ou @ilfitlau§ ueucfteu ^fuffdl^eu ^ei^t eS: „?5ur 
bte :6eoorf c!)eubcu ©tege bcr ^oefic i)a^m ictr uod) eiue @e* 
h)af)r iu bem llmftaube, ba§ bcr SSoIfSgctft ubcvaK bcu I)o^cn 
SEcrtt), btc ua^I)a[ttge uub ch)tge S3ebcutuug bc§ ^vbcu(ct)cu§ 
mel)r uub ute^r §u iciirbigcu Ijegiuut. ^a^ uufer Bcitafter etn 
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32 

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f^md^tc, bieS biei^bt feiueg mifterWi(^en Sllameng l^oi^fter Oiu^m. 



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